How To Become An Online English Tutor

Many people who want to learn English as a second language feel it’s essential to have a native English speaker to guide them through the learning experience.

On the other hand, plenty of school kids are seeking help from English tutors to improve their grades.

In any event, teaching English is often considered a natural way for translators to bring in some additional income.

That is if you are up to it.

There are two ways to become an online English tutor:

1- Becoming employed by an online tutoring company

There are many reputable companies out there looking for qualified online tutors, but in this case you may need to have a certificate or some sort of experience.

You hourly rate is often around $12-15, more or less depending on your qualification. Your schedule will be less flexible because most likely you’ll be given a fixed schedule for your lessons.

2- Joining a online tutoring group

This is much like those translators job sites, you register with a website with or without a fee. After you become a member, you can look for job postings and negotiate with clients on your own. The downside of this approach is that you often end up with low pay and picky clients.

3- Build your own website

It takes some initial hard work to set your website up and get traffic. But when done properly, you have a complete control of what you do and how you do it. Your income potential depends on the number of students you can get. Find out how to build a website with lots of free traffic on a budget

As an online English tutor, you need to include your course content in different forms:

1- Text based content

A big part of English learning is through reading and writing. A great amount of text based content is crucial to a successful ESL course. Keep your teaching material fun, easy to read and relevant is the key to attract students. You can easily distribute this part of your course content through regular emails to your students.

2- Audio visual based content

As an online English tutor,you need to provide your students with plenty of listening, speaking experience and interation time with you.

Learners often need to feel and see the support from their tutor to gain confidence. So it’s important to use online tools to your advantage.

• internet based instant messaging and telephone services

MSN, Yahoo and Skype can all provide instant messaging services. You can contact any local internet based phone company to request such services too.

• use of teleclass or teleconference service

(More about online tutoring jobs and teleclass here). With a webcam, you are good to go!

• use of videos

You can go to Youtube website or some free blog sites such as Wordpress to deliver this element of your course.

3- The extensive use of online forum

No learning experience will be complete without a strong network of support. As an online English tutor, you need to to responsive to your student's needs.

Create a group for your students and participate frequently and show your support by answering questions, encouraging, motivating your students and other English learners.

In fact, you should take part in more than one forum. This not only helps you serve your students better, but also spreads the word out there and builds credibility and trust among your target audience. When people like you and trust you more will hire you.

Market, market and market!

Whether as an online English tutor or a freelance translator, you need to promote yourself relentlessly. Make marketing your priority and you will notice the result!

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