Teaching English online is booming, and it is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, it’s looking like it might be one of the fastest growing global gigs out there. You might be worried that by not having a degree, you are excluding yourself from this unique opportunity. However, teaching English online is not restricted to just degree holders, so there are plenty of options for you if you want to get started as a teacher. In this handy article, we’ve got you covered with some of the best companies who hire teachers without a degree.
Can I really teach English online
As an online English teacher, you will
Do you want to teach English online while still in college—or if you’re not on the college track at all? This unique employment opportunity is not only possible, it’s recommended! Teaching English online without a bachelor’s degree can open unlimited doors.
Not only will you get a taste of life as an English teacher (you may love it and pursue it abroad someday!), you will start to refine super-competitive skills for the modern workplace. Thinking on your feet, lesson planning, being reliable in a virtual work situation, catering to client’s (the students’!) needs, surviving time zone math and technology that doesn’t always work.
Sounds like an all-star candidate for a future job, if you ask us.
Keep reading to learn more about five companies offering online ESL jobs: no degree required. Here’s how YOU can be teaching English online without a degree ASAP!
Engoo (Bibo Global Opportunity)
Engoo, also known previously as Bibo Global Opportunity is one of the companies with the most relaxed set of rules for new teachers. As an non-native speaker, this is almost the perfect role. The pay is not life-changing, but if you don’t have a degree, TEFL or experience, then this is to be expected.
Earnings: $6+ per hour
Highlights: The biggest advantage of working with Engoo is that there are very little entry requirements to become a teacher. You don’t need a degree, a TEFL or experience. Just a proficiency in English and the right equipment!
Cambly
Cambly has some of the most flexible teaching arrangements alongside some of the easiest entrance requirements. No experience is necessary to be a tutor, although you do need to be a native speaker of English. Pay is calculated per minute of teaching at a rate of $0.17, so an hour of teaching would be $10.20.
Earnings: $10.20+ per hour (paid by minute)
Highlights: Cambly’s learners come from all over the world, giving you the unique experience of teaching people from many backgrounds.
Preply
Working with Preply allows you to set your own lesson price. However, commission is taken from your earnings. After you have reached a certain amount of teaching hours, commission will be lowered, so the more you work, the less commission you pay. You also don’t need a degree or a TEFL, so this is the perfect company to work for if you are just starting out.
Earnings: $15+ per hour
Highlights: The more you work with Preply, the less commission you pay. So, if you put the work in, then your earning potential can be huge!
Ginseng English
Ginseng English is the perfect company for you if you want to work with adults. This role is different to most because you are not teaching one-on-one on Skype. You are teaching a class of students around the world based on a solid curriculum. Ginseng English will look favourably upon experience and qualifications, but is not a requirement.
Earnings: $10-$15 per hour
Highlights: Being able to teach in a business context is a draw for some teachers. Ginseng English works with teachers who feel comfortable in teaching a class of students rather than individual students. This is perfect for those who don’t want to deal with children.
WaijiaoYi
WaijiaoYi is another company that doesn’t have a lot of difficult entry requirements. You don’t need a degree or a TEFL, and you can be a non-native speaker. Again, the pay isn’t incredible, but it can be good if you are just starting your TEFL journey. A lot of the work on this platform happens over the weekends, so make sure you set time aside for lessons!
Earnings: $9-$16 per hour
Highlights: WaijiaoYi is a Chinese start-up that focuses a lot on the dual-teaching method (a foreigner and Chinese native teacher) to conduct English classes in smaller cities across China. This is a different way of teaching for new tutors and can be very rewarding!
Teaching English Online without a Degree: Hiring now
Palfish
Palfish claims to be the “fastest interview process in the online ESL industry,” and lucky for you, you can score online English teaching jobs with no degree easily within their requirements. Their “Official Kids Course” offerings do not require a degree, though they do require that you speak English fluently and have a TEFL certificate.
Bonus: For non-native speakers looking to teach English online without a degree, you can get hired for their “Live Stream/Free Talk” program, which has some of the most flexible requirements and expectations we’ve found.
Amazing Talker
We love that Amazing Talker lists “A desire to be your own boss” as one of its qualifications for new teachers—but no where in their requirements does it say “holds a degree.” This is great news for all of you readers out there, as Amazing Talker lets you set your own cost per 50-minute lesson and even has a system to match you with potential students. All you have to do is set your hours and your price, and Amazing Talker will notify you with suitable matches as they come.
Once you’re hired, you’ll get access to a suite of videos to help train you in the art of teaching English online without a degree. It’s a great way to connect your Online English Teaching Training to your new job!
iTalki
iTalki is a robust online marketplace designed specifically for learners of new languages. It’s sleek design and easy to navigate website has us fully believing in the quality of their product. While you can find online ESL jobs here with no degree, you are required to have at least native proficiency OR the most advanced level of certification for a second language (this means C2 for non-native English speakers).
As a teacher on iTalki, you can categorize your lessons in one of five areas: “General, Business, Test Preparation, Kids, and Conversation Practice.” From there, you can further add specific tags to your lesson plans to help students filter to match you more easily with their goals. If you play your tags right, you’ll be finding the right students for your specific lessons pretty quickly.
Students purchase “iTalki credits” on the website, which they can later cash in and redeem on services like tests, lessons, or language challenges.
Open English
Love all things Latin and speak a little Spanish or Portuguese yourself?! Then set your sights on Open English, the premier platform for connecting teachers and learners in Central and South America. Boasting more than 500,000 students in 40 countries since its start in 2007, you best believe that ESL teachers will be rewarded with ample teaching hours.
But—they have to work for it, too. Open English has a more stringent application process than most other online platforms, but those who are willing to jump through their job application hoops will love connecting with their Latin students both inside and outside of the virtual classroom.
Lingoda
Help your students walk, run, or sprint to their language goals when you become an online English tutor with Lingoda. Lingoda users tend to be adult English learners with more professional goals, so this can be a great opportunity for online TEFL teachers that don’t necessarily want to work with kids.
Since a degree isn’t required, what is? You need a C2 or above level in the language you’d like to teach (that’s right, fluency is not required), plus a TEFL certificate (we highly recommend this one). Not only that, but they ask their teachers to have a minimum of three years of teaching experience. While this doesn’t necessarily need to be online, you might need to think back on your recent years to find ways that you worked as a “teacher,” even non-traditionally (like a camp counselor or after-school tutor!).
Teaching English online without a degree can be done!
Use this list of companies hiring individuals to teach English online with no degree as a launchpad to what’s bound to be a productive, rewarding, and exciting chapter.
As always, reach out to Premier TEFL for any questions or if you need support in your journey to teach English without a degree online!
Want to learn more about Teaching English online?
- The Ultimate Guide to Teaching English Online
- 5 Awesome Companies to Choose From for Teaching English Online
- Teaching English Online for Non-native English Speakers
