Start teaching English online

Choose suitable roles, prepare your application and plan your first lessons.

Five steps to your first lessons

  1. Choose the teaching you want to do

  2. Check the qualifications

    Read each role’s requirements for a degree, a teaching certificate, experience, English proficiency and where you must live. Make a note of anything you need to ask the employer.

    Before you enrol in a course, check which certificate your intended employer accepts. A TEFL certificate and a school teaching licence are different qualifications, so match the course to the role you want.

  3. Prepare your application

    Adapt your CV to the role, using examples of teaching, tutoring or helping someone learn. Follow the employer’s instructions for an introduction video or a demo lesson.

  4. Shortlist and apply

    Check the pay unit, the preparation time, the cancellation rules and the fees, so you understand the full workload.

    Save suitable roles, open the employer’s current application page and follow its instructions. In Saved jobs, you can note where each application has reached and add your own notes.

  5. Prepare to teach

    Plan one clear aim, a task to practise it and a simpler version of the task for a learner who needs more support.

    Leave time to check what the learner understood and to note what to practise next. Ask the employer about its lesson platform, training and classroom policies.

Already teaching? Plan the next lesson

Read the teaching guide