There is a certain appeal to being able to teach online. You have more control over your schedule, problematic students are on the other side of the computer screen, and you can teach from the comfort of your own home. There are a number of online platforms for ESL teachers that can help you realize these benefits.
You may be looking for an online position as an option instead of teaching in the classroom, or you may be looking for something that can help you add to your teaching salary. Regardless of the reasoning behind your interest in online ESL teaching platforms, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled a list for 18 of the best platforms for you to consider.
What Does an ESL Teacher Do?
An English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher works with students who are trying to learn the English language. These English language learners, known as ELLs, have a native language that is something other than English.
An ESL teacher’s job involves helping English language learners improve their written and spoken fluency in English. To accomplish this goal, they use a variety of directive teaching strategies. These teaching strategies include repetition, visual aids, demonstrations, and drills.
ESL teachers work in a variety of settings. Some work with children, and some work with adult English language learners. ESL teachers are working in a school may have their own class of children, or they may play a supporting role in a general education classroom.
How to Become an ESL Teacher
If you’re interested in becoming ESL teacher, there are many different options you can consider. Colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs to help you obtain certification as an ESL teacher. In addition to these programs, you can also obtain TEFL or TESOL certification through various certification programs. These certification programs will be less than the obtaining of a full degree from a university. Before starting a certification program, be sure to check with the school district or online platform you’re interested in teaching with since many require that you complete a certification program of at least 120 hours.
Best ESL Online Platforms for Teaching
- VIPKid →
- Gogokid →
- iTalki →
- iTutorGroup →
- Open English →
- Voxy →
- Teachlingo →
- Rosetta Stone →
- Berlitz →
- Cambly →
- Cafetalk →
- DaDa →
- Education First →
- Learnlight →
- Alo7 →
- Qkids →
- 51 Talk →
- English Gang →
Here you can see the list of 18 best online ESL platforms for teaching. Choose the one you like and enjoy! 
1. VIPKid →
Benefits
VIPKid is one of the most well-known online ESL teaching platforms. There are a variety of benefits you’ll experience when you become a teacher with VIPKid. These include the ability to set your own schedule and teach without having to worry about having to plan your own lessons. VIPKid creates the lessons for you so all you have to do is teach them to your students. As a teacher with the kid, you get paid per each class you teach. The base paper that can teacher is between $14 and $18 per hour, but with some the incentives they add, you may be able to earn as much as $22 per hour.
Description
VIPKid was developed to help Chinese students learn the English language. Since you’ll be teaching students in China, many classes will be held in the early morning or late evening hours. To be hired as a good kid teacher, you must have a four-year degree from University, but it does not have to be in education. Additionally, you will need technology that is reliable and up to the requirements for the platform, and VIPKid recommends that you have at least two years of experience working with children.
Best for: individuals who are looking to work from home and are comfortable with flexible working hours including early mornings.
2. Gogokid →
Benefits
As a Gogokid teacher, you can earn between $14 and $25 an hour. You also have the ability to set your own schedule around other conflicts or teaching jobs. With Gogokid, all the planning and preparation is done for you. You’ll be free to just teach your students leaving you free to do other things when you’re not.
Description
Gogokid was created to help Chinese students learn English and develop a lifelong love of learning. Their goal is to use technology to best meet the needs of these learners and help them excel. With Gogokid you will be teaching in a one-on-one setting, allowing you to closely work with and assess the needs of one student at a time.
Best for: Individuals who would prefer a one-on-one teaching experience instead of teaching a small group or class of students.
3. iTalki →
Benefits
With iTalki you will also have the power to create your own schedule. Unlike other platforms, students are not only in China, so you may not have to rely on teaching and very early morning. Payment for teaching with this company will vary based on the lesson package each student selects. Teachers receive 85% of the package price.
Description
iTalki is different from some of the other online learning platforms and that it is not only designed to help learners become proficient in the English language. In addition to English teachers, learners on this site can choose to learn from speakers of numerous other languages. As a teacher with this platform, you will be teaching in a one-on-one setting. This will give you the ability to work closely with one student at a time. During the application process, you’ll make a teacher introduction video and introduce yourself to students. Students or families can look through these videos and reviews from other students to help them select the teacher that is right for them.
Best for: individuals who may also be interested in teaching adult language learners or don’t want to be tied to teaching the early morning hours.
4. iTutorGroup →
Benefits
iTutorGroup teachers earn between $15 and $20 an hour. Your actual rate of pay will vary based on the classes you teach and other bonuses that are available. You will not be responsible for creating any of the materials used for your lessons. iTutorGroup will take care of all the planning for you.
Description
iTutorGroup first started in 1998. It was created as a platform to help learners benefit from a personalized learning experience. Through this online platform, you will have the opportunity to teach English to students in China, Taiwan, and Japan. Some classes are taught in a one-to-one format, while other classes may have set up to six students in them. The age range of the students is between ages five and adult.
Best for: Individuals who would enjoy a flexible schedule from their own home without having to create any teaching materials.
5. Open English →
Benefits
With Open English, you can teach from anywhere in the world. You will also enjoy a flexible schedule and be able to fit in teaching classes whenever you have the time available. Earnings are typically between $13 and $15 an hour.
Description
Open English offers live classes where English language learners have the opportunity to learn English from a native English speaker. Teachers will work with learners on both spoken and written language. Class sizes range from 1 to 12 groups of about 10 students. Students on this platform are older, typically high school students, college students, or adults.
Best for: Individuals it would prefer to work with older learners.
6. Voxy →
Benefits
As a teacher with Voxy you will have the opportunity to help individuals gain the skills they need to succeed in their career. Voxy’s technology will help you provide personalized instruction for each student. Teachers earn about $17.50 an hour.
Description
Voxy’s goal is to remove language barriers in the workplace. Teachers h this platform will be working with adult learners to help them improve their English skills so they can excel in their careers. Voxy utilizes a task-based approach in order to ensure students learn the skills they will need to be successful. You will never be able to have at least 15 hours of availability each week to teach on this platform.
Best for: Individuals who would want to teach adult learners and help them find success in their careers.
7. Teachlingo →
Benefits
Because the jobs you will find on Teachlingo can vary, the benefits and perks you’ll enjoy will also vary. Signing up to the site is free, so there are no downsides to just giving it a try.
Description
Teachlingo, unlike many of the other platforms described here, is a marketplace designed to help connect ESL teachers all with those looking for an instructor. Companies who are in need of an ESL teacher can look through the profiles on Teachlingo and send messages to candidates that they are interested in. If you decide to use this site, you’ll create a profile to make yourself look attractive to potential employers.
Best for: Individuals who would be interested in working with a larger company is an ESL teacher.
8. Rosetta Stone →
Benefits
As a teacher with Rosetta Stone can expect to earn somewhere around $15 an hour. The schedule is flexible, but you’ll need to be available to teach in the early morning hours since the students you will be teaching are in other countries. You also may be able to pick up some weekend classes.
Description
In addition to their language learning programs, Rosetta Stone, also offers online classes to help students learn the English language. Most of the classes will teach through this platform will be one on one. In order to apply for Rosetta Stone, you must be a native English speaker. You must also have a four-year college degree.
Best for: Night owls who would like to teach in the very early morning hours.
9. Berlitz →
Benefits
Unlike some of the other platforms, you may be able to get a job on Berlitz without a four-year degree. Berlitz offers you flexible scheduling options to help you arrange your classes around your other commitments.
Description
With Berlitz, teach both child and adult English language learners. This platform offers both private and group classes. You can decide whether you’re more comfortable teaching one-on-one or to a small group of students. All of the lessons are developed by Berlitz, to all the planning is done for you. One thing that makes Berlitz different from other English language learning platforms is the fact that they use an immersion-based teaching strategy.
Best for: Individuals who would be comfortable teaching in an immersion classroom.
10. Cambly →
Benefits
If you are not a certified teacher, do not have a TEFL or TESOL certificate, or have not graduated from a four-year college you may still be able to work for Cambly. Since there hiring requirements are less strict, Cambly’s pay rate is a bit lower than other sites. Teachers earn about $10.50 per hour.
Description
in order to teach with Cambly, you will need to be a native English speaker. Classes are recorded to allow students to look back at the content and help them reinforce the new vocabulary and concepts they learned. This platform is designed for adult learners. Cambly also offers a platform designed for student learners called Cambly Kids.
Best for: Individuals who are looking to teach online but do not have a four-year college degree or teaching experience.
11. Cafetalk →
Benefits
With Cafetalk, you will have more control over what you are able to teach. Unlike other platforms that have pre-scripted lessons, you will have the freedom to design your own materials and share ideas with students. The amount of money you can earn with Cafetalk varies, but you can expect to earn at least 60% and up to 85% of the lesson cost.
Description
In addition to English lessons, Cafetalk offers a variety of other learning opportunities in subjects such as art, fashion, programming, and business. To get started as a tutor with Cafetalk, fill out the application online, and complete your profile. Students can request a lesson from you, and you will have time to prepare materials to get ready to teach the lesson. Upon completion of your lesson, you can request payment from Cafetalk.
Best for: Individuals who would prefer to plan their lessons instead of using ones prepared by someone else.
12. DaDa →
Benefits
There are many benefits you will enjoy when working with DaDa. One of these benefits is the ability to set your own schedule. You can choose the number of hours you like to work each week. Unlike some other online teaching platforms, where teachers have a hard time getting a full schedule, there should be enough classes to go around on all DaDa.
Description
DaDa has been around since 2013. With this teaching platform, you will need one-to-one lessons to help children in China learn the English language. Many teachers enjoyed teaching on DaDa because the students are motivated to do try their best to learn the English language.
Best for: Classroom teachers looking to supplement their income by working outside the school day.
13. Education First (EF) →
Benefits
Your earnings will vary with Education First, but you can expect to make somewhere between $12 and $20 an hour. You will be in control of your schedule and can choose to teach either children or adults.
Description
Education First’s online English classes can be taught to a group of students or in a one-on-one setting. Education First is a well-established company that has been around for over 50 years. This is a very large company that hires teachers from all around the world.
Best for: Individuals who would like to help children or adults all over the world master the English language.
14. Learnlight →
Benefits
Learnlight offers a variety of materials to help their instructors succeed. You’ll have access to their large library of materials that can aid you in planning your lessons. There are also student progress tracking resources. You will have the freedom to teach from anywhere in the world and can set your own schedule.
Description
In order to teach or learn Learnlight will need to have a TEFL certification, and you will be more likely to get hired if you have at least two years of teaching experience.
Best for: Classroom teachers who are looking to make additional money outside the school day or stay-at-home parents who have teaching experience.
15. Alo7 →
Benefits
As a teacher with Alo7, you will be instructing students who are motivated and excited to learn. Depending on the incentives you are able to earn you may earn as much is $22 for 50 minutes (two classes).
Description
In addition to helping students learn the English language, Alo7 has the goal of helping build future leaders by teaching cultural diversity and a love of learning. The students you will be teaching will be between the ages of three and 15. Alo7 has a very advanced platform that is both easy to operate and interactive for the students in teachers.
Best for: Individuals like to make learning fun and interactive through the use of technology and arts.
16. Qkids →
Benefits
With Qkids, all of the planning is done for you. The app includes premade lessons ready for you to share and teach your students. Students are engaged through this platform since Qkids uses animated characters and interesting lesson materials to help students learn.
Description
Qkids is in English learning platform designed to connect instructors to students in China who are between the ages of four and 12. Lessons taught through this platform are designed to be interactive to keep students excited and engaged in learning.
Best for: Individuals who have teaching experience and love making learning fun for their students.
17. 51 Talk →
Benefits
Earnings with 51 Talk will vary based on the number of lessons you have taught in your performance as a teacher. If you open more lesson slots for students to choose from, you will increase your chances of having a full schedule. Lesson materials are provided for you before class time so you will have time to prepare to teach the lesson.
Description
While 51 Talk offers premade lessons, you will be able to make modifications to help you meet the needs of your individual students. This is different from other sites that do not offer you this flexibility. You can teach both group and private lessons through this platform. While a private lesson lasts about 25 minutes, group lessons may be as long as 50 minutes.
Best for: Individuals who want to be able to modify lessons to make sure their best meeting the needs of each learner.
18. English Gang →
Benefits
The base hourly rate for English Gang is between $10 and $16 an hour. However, there are additional bonuses you can earn if you help enroll new students for certain classes on time. You will be provided with the necessary slides to share with your students as you teach each lesson.
Description
After completing the interview and mock teaching class with English Gang, you can open your schedule to students. Students may be either children or adults. English Gang’s curriculum has a large focus on phonics and vocabulary growth as well as speaking and listening. In order to teach with English Gang, you must have at least three years with experience teaching ESL or hold a bachelor’s degree. You must also be a native English speaker.
Best for: Individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree or have experience working with English language learners.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see, if you’re looking for an ESL teaching job you can do from the comfort of your own home, there are plenty of excellent options to consider. These positions could help you supplement your teacher’s salary or could even become your main source of income. If you’re a teacher who is looking for additional ways to make money, this article shares some other summer or part-time job ideas. Whether you’re applying for a position as an online ESL teacher or another part-time job, consider adding a cover letter to your resume to help a prospective employer know you are serious and qualified for the position.
Whether you are teaching online or in-person, team building activities are always a great way for your students to get to know one another and develop cooperative learning skills. This article shares some great ideas to use your students.
Last Updated on September 24, 2020 by Emily
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