In this post, I'm going to show you how you can teach English online without a degree. I know several people that are making good money by teaching online.
You don’t have to worry about a fancy work wardrobe or commuting costs – meaning more money in your pockets. This leads to the question, do you need a degree to teach English online? How much can you earn? Let’s find out!
Can I Teach Online Without A Degree?
I receive tons of messages from readers asking whether it’s possible to get a part-time teaching gig without a degree. If you have always wanted to work from home, but you lack confidence because you don’t have a degree, then fear no more. This post will break down how to teach English online.
There are many online jobs you can do from home. Teaching English online is one of the many professions that are open to just about anyone: no degree, no problem!
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean that there are no other requirements to teach English online; there are. Just, in this case, a degree is not one of them.
But I’m not an English teacher. It’s okay if you majored in Accounting and are now a stay-at-home mom. Teaching English online is easy and fun because to qualify, you mostly need to be fluent in English.
Fluency here means you’ve reached the level of an advanced speaker. If you can’t speak it, you can’t teach it, right? Right. Most of the learners speak basic English already.
Yes, there are online language schools that only hire tutors with previous classroom experience, certificates or degrees. Thankfully, due to the rising demand for instruction, there are many vacancies for online English teaching jobs at reputable places that will let you teach online without a degree.
Many online teaching platforms will let you teach English lessons like listening, conversation and comprehension with or without teaching experience and whether your native language is or is not English.
These companies have flexible schedules, meaning you can choose when to work. They also give you access to a resource library and class materials. However, you need to pay close attention to the job requirements.
What Qualifications Do I Need To Teach English Online?
The idea of teaching English online attracts many native speakers. This consequently leads to stiff competition. To be hired and command high rates, you need to stand out from the crowd.
There’s nothing you can do about being a native English speaker – you either are or you aren’t! So, if you want to teach English online without a degree, you need at least a 120-hour TEFL or TESOL qualification from a suitably accredited, internationally recognized provider.
So what’s the difference between the two?
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. You need this certificate if you live in a non-English speaking country and want to teach English to students whose first language isn’t English. You can get a TEFL certificate here.
TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. You need this certificate if you live in a non-English speaking country and want to teach English to students who speak other languages.
The certificates are pretty simple and relatively cheap to get. They will make you more marketable. To cover your bases and avoid hurting your acceptance chances, get both.
You will also likely need to go through a Skype interview/s and maybe give a few mock lessons in the application process.
Pretty much every single school out there will have these requirements: A quiet working environment.
- Headset with a microphone
- Good PC/laptop
- Reliable internet connection
- Webcam
Pretty easy requirements! Please note that companies occasionally change their conditions.
Companies That Let You Teach English Online Without A Bachelor's Degree
When considering places to teach English online without a degree, you need to think through what else you’re looking for. Some platforms offer more benefits, and still, others let you have more ease or fun at work.
With the current online teaching craze, it seems like a new online school is popping up every other week. We rounded up 11 of the best places to teach English online without a degree.
1. Open English
Open English is one of the most recognizable names when it comes to language instruction. Popular in Latin America, Open English has been around since 2007 and offers live classes 24/7.
While there are one-on-one sessions, small learning groups are most common. Teachers are required to work 10-24 hours per week.
Requirements
While there’s no degree required, you must be an American native English speaker to be considered. It's also preferred if you have a TEFL certificate or are committed to getting one. Speaking Portuguese or Spanish is an advantage.
As long as you are authorized to work in the United States legally, you can teach from anywhere in the world.
How To Apply
First, you need to provide details about your qualifications, skills, and experience. You may be asked to complete a video interview after completing the application. You will learn about the technical requirements and classroom experience while completing an application.
Pay: Expect to earn around $8-$12 per hour.
2. Lingoda
If you’re a native English speaker, here’s another place to start if you have no degree as well as experience in teaching English. Anyone with a passion for teaching can join the site and start offering lessons.
Lingoda specializes in language lessons for European language learners. The platform believes that integrating technology and education will revolutionize language learning.
You will get 1-5 adult students per hour-long class. The platform provides learning materials.
Requirements
Lingoda doesn’t expect you to hold a degree but you have to be a native English speaker and have earned an ESL teaching certificate. You also need to have at least 2 years of teaching experience.
How To Apply
You can apply online on their website or send a 1-minute video application to teacher@lingoda.com. Remember to mention your experience and qualifications.
Once your profile gets approved by Lingoda, a maximum of five adult students will attend your classes.
Pay: Hourly pay depends on some factors like qualifications, languages taught, and location. Expect to earn about $8-10 per hour.
3. SkimaTalk
You can be an online English teacher at SkimaTalk without a bachelor’s degree. The platform hires native English speakers with American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and British dialects.
Students in SkimaTalk are mostly adults from all over the world. The platform is conversation and one-on-one based and offers lots of flexibility. You can set your own rate and schedule.
The platform emphasizes its customers’ satisfaction, so you better do your job well. They recommend their students pick teachers based on few cancellations or high ratings.
Requirements
Regardless of where you live, you can go ahead and sign up if you’re a native English speaker with a strong work ethic. You should be 18 years of age or older. (If you are under 18 you might consider these jobs that hire 15-year-olds.)
While a degree certificate is not necessary, past teaching experience is preferred. The site provides all teaching materials, but you must have a mic, webcam, headset and Google Chrome on your Mac or PC.
How To Apply
First register with Skype. Sign up with SkimaTalk and fill out your teacher profile. Record a self-introduction video. Before you’re approved to teach 1-on-1 classes, you’ll have to pass a test. Only then will students be able to view your profile.
Pay: Students on the platform use SkimaTalk Coins to pay for lessons. Prices vary widely as they’re determined by the teachers. SkimaTalk takes 20 percent of what you earn and you get paid once a month.
4. PalFish
PalFish is an app-based platform to teach English online. Offering the same flexibility as SkimaTalk, PalFish calls itself “the eBay of English classes.”
The platform gives you the option to teach larger groups or one-on-one. You can teach anywhere you like as long you have a great internet connection.
Requirements
Unlike most apps and sites in this list, non-native English speakers are also welcome to apply. You must, however, hold a TEFL Certificate, possess excellent communication skills, and be creative, passionate and energetic.
How To Apply
First, download the PalFish app. Write a short introduction, upload a clear picture of yourself, record a 30-second self-introduction video, and fill out your payment details. Account verification typically takes 2 business days.
Pay: There is no minimum or maximum hour amount. You can set up your own rate, and the pay ranges from $10-$18 per hour. Some teachers charge up to $30 per hour. Payment is made only via Payoneer.
5. Cambly
Cambly is a top online language school for students from around the globe. Tutoring with the conversation-based platform is fun and rewarding. Cambly offers an opportunity for spontaneous conversation practice and scheduled classes.
Students are typically adults and get access to a tutor 24/7/365. This can be a great way to meet and learn from new people from all over the world.
You can teach English via webcam, make your own schedule and work as little or as much as you like.
Requirements
You don’t need a certificate or a bachelor’s degree to Join Cambly. You just need to be a native English speaker from the United States, the UK, Canada or Australia with good communication skills. An easy conversational style lets you interact with the students easily.
You also need a reliable internet connection, a decent computer with a webcam and a headset with a mic.
How To Apply
You will need to fill out an application online to be considered. Before applying, you need first to pass a connection test to determine whether you can reliably handle video steaming.
Next, you need to create and submit a brief introduction video. Fill out a tutor profile to market yourself. To be hired, you must pass a background check.
Pay: The platform automatically tracks the time you spend tutoring. Expect to earn $0.17/ minute, which translates to just over $10/hour. Payment is made weekly via PayPal.
6. Qkids
You can join the team at Qkids to teach English online if you live in the United States or Canada. Most students are Chinese kids aged between 4-12 years. The platform connects tutors with 600k+ learners.
You can teach using engaging stories, interactive games, animated characters and a premade lesson plan. Most teachers on the platform are stay-at-home parents, college students and professional tutors.
Most lessons are set to start early in the morning. Classes last 30 minutes and have up to 4 students. The minimum requirement is 6 hours a week, and you can teach up to 19 hours a week. Qkids provides the lesson plans.
Requirements
While you don’t need a degree to teach online, you need to demonstrate that you’re actively working towards TEFL or TESOL certificate. You must commit to a 6-month contract, and work a minimum of 6 hours a week.
Like many other ESL tutor jobs, you can work from the comfort of your home, as long as you have a computer with Skype capabilities, a high-speed internet connection, a webcam and a headset with a mic.
How To Apply
The sign-up process takes approximately two weeks. Before you get hired, you will have to submit a brief intro video, pass 2 demo interviews, hold a mock class and pass a background check. You will do 2-7 trials and get feedback on your performance after each of them. If you satisfy your trainer, you’ll join the community of Qkids teachers.
Pay: The base pay is $8 for every lesson or $16-$20 per hour, but there are various bonuses and incentives available. The payment is monthly.
7. Magic Ears
Here’s another app that doesn’t look for a degree. Magic Ears is for students from China looking to learn English at an accelerated rate. You can teach kids aged 4-12 years.
They provide a pleasant working environment that will let you teach and grow with the company. The 1-on-4 format ensures that you interact with your students to make the classes conversational. Classes last only 25 minutes.
As long as you have a stable internet connection, you can work anywhere and pick your own hours.
Requirements
To be hired, you need to be interactive, friendly and passionate about teaching kids.
How To Apply
You can “become a hero” by applying online today!
Pay: Magic Ears offers a salary that is 30 percent higher than the average market value. You can easily make $22-$26 per hour.
8. Acadsoc
Acadsoc is yet another international online ESL that hires non-degree holders to teach Chinese learners English. You receive different work packages and student groups based on your qualifications and experience.
The platform has over 40 million students. You can create your own schedule and work from anywhere. Choose between working part-time or full-time. The curriculum development team will provide you with teaching materials.
Requirements
You don’t need to have a degree or a teaching certificate to hook up with Acadsoc. While none of these is technically required, Acadsoc prefers to hire credentialed teachers.
You should be a fluent English speaker, be familiar with the basic principles of teaching ESL courses and have a TEFL certification.
How To Apply
You can register online here. You will have to input your email address and phone number for verification.
Pay: The average earning is $10 per hour. If you’re hardworking, you'll enjoy monthly bonuses such as enrollment, class completion, and perfect attendance bonus packages.
9. Amazing Talker
Amazing Talker doesn’t require a degree when hiring. You will receive a full video training to be familiar with how the platform works and learn what’s expected of you.
There are no time commitments at Amazing Talker. You can set your own rates and schedule for private lessons that last 50 minutes or mini-lessons that last 25 minutes.
Students can search for tutors within the platform. You can chat with them to see if they’re a good fit.
Requirements
You must be a native English speaker. While no degree is required to start teaching with Amazing Talker, a teaching certificate is preferred.
Since students have different skill levels and various requests, you need to craft your own teaching material to cater to varying individual needs.
How To Apply
Before getting hired, Amazing Talkers will need an intro video. They will then ask you to demonstrate that you have the necessary technical equipment to connect with students around the world.
Pay: You can set your own pay rate. The average earnings are $25 per class. For 0-15 percent of your fee, Amazing Talker will promote your services on their social media pages, display your profile and manage the financial aspects of your job.
10. Italki
Italki is a global language learning site offering lessons from 100s of teachers in many languages, including English. There are no education requirements to be a community tutor. Once hired, you create your own lessons and students will contact you to book a class through Skype.
Most lessons take around 30 minutes, and after each session, both parties are encouraged to leave feedback. Students select teachers based on their video introduction, personal profile and reviews from other students.
Requirements
To qualify as an English language community tutor, you just need to be a native or near-native English speaker. To be a higher-level professional tutor with Italki, you will need proof of prior teaching experience or a university degree.
How To Apply
The application is a breeze. To apply, you need first to create an online profile. The profile should include a short video introduction. Tutors must be 18 years of age or older. It takes 10 business days for Italki to process your application.
Pay: You can pick your own rate and Italki takes a cut of 15 percent of your earnings. You will earn credits which you can turn into USD through Skrill or PayPal.
11. Verbling
Verbling is one of the most popular online language teaching platforms, with over 10,000 teachers worldwide. You can teach English, French, Spanish, Russian or Chinese to students from around the globe.
Requirements
You must be a native speaker of the language you wish to teach and have a minimum of 1-year teaching experience to join Verbling.
How To Apply
You can sign up on the Verbling website and create a profile. You will need to include information about your qualifications, experiences, and teaching methods. After your profile is complete, you can start teaching immediately.
Pay: If you're considering becoming a tutor on Verbling, one of the first things you'll need to do is set your hourly rate. Remember that you'll earn 85% of whatever you charge students and a 15% commission will go to Verbling. With that in mind, it's important to choose a rate that's both competitive and profitable.
Conclusion
These days, there are more ways than ever to earn a living without going to college. If you’re an English speaker who delights in meeting new people, working online as an English tutor might be your perfect part-time job.
Many of these companies are almost always hiring and use PayPal, Skrill or Payoneer to pay teachers. Ensure you open these accounts before you sign up.
Instead of submitting applications for online English teaching jobs to all the companies, pick one or two that you think might fit your goals and values.
Good luck!