Can I teach English online without any teaching experience?
Due to an extremely high demand right across the world it is not only possible to teach English online without any previous experience, it is actually very common. As long as you have completed a good quality TESOL certification course, having no previous classroom experience is generally not a barrier to starting a new career as an online English language teacher.
How do I teach English without knowing my student's language?
If you work as an online English teacher you could potentially be teaching students from countries all over the world, but luckily you do not need to be familiar with all their native languages. This is possible by using the common teaching method known as total immersion. The simple premise of this method is that English is the only language used by both the teacher and the student for the duration of the lesson. The intention of this approach is to mirror the experience of living in an English-speaking country, which is something that is not realistic for the majority of students. The more realistic alternative is for the teacher to provide this total immersion in the English language via the contents of their virtual class.
How will a TESOL certificate help me in the online classroom?
Although it is common to land a job teaching English online without any classroom experience, it is not true that being an English speaker is the only qualification you need. To be an effective teacher in any environment, you will need to possess a specific set of skills and knowledge that is unique to language teaching. The only way to gain these is to complete a high-quality TESOL certification course before you start applying for online teaching jobs. During your course you will cover a wide range of essential subjects, such as lesson planning, grammar awareness and classroom management (something that is equally relevant in virtual and traditional classrooms). With a TESOL certification course under your belt you will be able to apply everything you have learned to your international students, no matter where they are based in the world.
