Have you ever opened a social media app to be met by a sun-drenched photo uploaded by a digital nomad – laptop on the beach, cocktail in hand, seemingly enjoying the dream life – and wondered, “How can I do that too?” Although beaches aren’t known for having excellent WiFi connections (which are crucial for online teachers! ), TEFL allows you to explore the world as a digital nomad.

You might be wondering if English teachers will be in demand in 2022. There is, without a doubt, one!

How COVID affects ESL/TEFL Online Teaching

As the globe began to acclimatize and adapt to the “new normal” caused by the epidemic over the last two years, more and more people have relocated their study online. This shift has increased demand for online English teachers, but there have never been more people looking for work online. This is due to a variety of factors, including increased unemployment, a demand for remote work, and people reassessing the relevance of their work-life balance.

With a 120-hour TEFL certification, a native English speaker with a degree and some experience might not have a hard time finding work online. Finding a job with a 120-hour qualification alone might be difficult, especially for non-native speakers and those without a degree.

In this instance, taking a Level 5 TEFL course instead of a 120 hour TEFL Course is one of the finest strategies to improve your CV. Students can study TEFL in greater depth in a Level 5 TEFL course, making it perfect for those who have no prior teaching experience.

How China has affected ESL Online Teaching

When searching for online companies to work for, make sure to also read our blog on the China regulations that came in earlier this year. It will help you with your decision making in finding a new job!

For a quick recap, The Chinese government released a set of restrictions on July 26th, putting the future of foreign ESL teachers in jeopardy and leaving ESL teachers concerned about the security of their jobs and livelihoods. The new policies are: 

• Pre-school children are banned from participating in online lessons, this rule has come into effect immediately
• There will be a ban on hiring foreign teachers who live overseas
• No online lessons can be taken after 9:00 pm Beijing time
• No online classes can be taken during the weekends, holidays, and school breaks
• Private ESL tutoring or off-campus tutoring is banned
• Companies that offer private tutoring will have to register their organisations as nonprofits. They will no longer be able to advertise their programs.

You would think to yourself “OK, this is one country and does not affect me as I don’t live there” but a lot of ESL online companies are in fact Chinese and follow these protocols. This means a reduction in hours and less job opportunities with these companies. 

The TEFL Institute Recommendations

Your first step is to get certified. Based on our explanation above, you’ll need to first choose between the 120 hour TEFL Course or the 180 hour Level 5 TEFL Course. We would always recommend going for the course packages with the specialist courses. This will open up doors for you in the future as you’ll be qualified to get into niches of TEFL like exam preparation and business English, which are higher paid routes to go down and normally have a set curriculum for an easier work-life balance. Once certified, now it’s time to make your move into the ESL industry and get that digital nomad life you’ve always dreamed about! 

From our research the below online companies are hiring for 2022 and have students lined up and waiting for you! The one you choose is completely dependent on your situation. To make the right decision you’ll have to first ask yourself the following questions and then pick the one that suits you best in terms of pay rate and company policies (a company that suits your attitude, basically): 

Do I have a Bachelor’s degree? 

Which country is my passport from? 

Do I have experience in teaching? 

Would I prefer to teach young learners or broaden my horizons to business English or exam preparation? 

Do I want to work part-time or full-time? 

Would I like to be an employee or freelance at my own rates? 

Do I want to make my own lesson plans or have them done for me and follow a curriculum? 

When is my prime time to work during the day? 

Once you ponder on these questions, you’ll know exactly what to look for. Take your time, do your research or even answer these questions to one of our experts and take advantage of the job assistance we have for our alumni!

Companies Hiring TEFL Teachers for 2022

• Cambly
• Preply
• Blabla EdTech
• Turito Inc.
• VIPKid
• DaDa
• QKids
• iTutorGroup
• GoGoKid
• Whales English
• English Hunt

FAQs

Is there a demand for Online TEFL teachers?

There is a huge demand for online teachers right now, both through the public school systems globally and the normal route of private ESL online education. Be assured that this industry is booming right now! You’ll also have to keep in mind though that this job is getting more and more competitive, so upping your game may have to be an option. 

Will virtual English learning continue in 2022?

Absolutely, and it is only getting more popular. There are different routes for virtual learning everyday as the world acclimatizes to the “new normal”. Keep in mind that with the world opening up again, in-classroom learning follows. Going the private online learning route would be the more stable one to go for if you don’t intend to work abroad or in-classroom in the future. 

What are the advantages of online English teaching?

There are so many reasons to go down this route. Our number one is flexibility. Flexibility with your time. Flexibility with your teacher rates. Flexibility with your location. Want to stay at home and earn a few bob? No problem! Want to travel the world and earn with stability along the way? Why not! 

What are the biggest challenges TEFL teachers faced during online teaching?

Getting into the industry on a high wage is quite difficult. Like in any industry, you are starting off as a  graduate and your first paycheck will reflect this. Before quitting your 9-5 or jetting off to your dream destination as a nomad, be sure to have a consistent student database and secured hours. 

If you do decide to go travelling while teaching English online, it is very wise to take into account time zones and jet lag. The last thing you want are missed lessons and therefore bad reviews to your name. When moving far away from home, give yourself a few days off to get settled. 

Can online English teaching be the future of education?

With all we hear about the likes of metaverses, Elon Musk and now Nikki Minaj performing virtually in 2023, it surely looks like everything is going online, including education! It is definitely the future. Let’s not give up too easily on the old fashioned in-classroom approach as we don’t think it’s going anywhere just yet!