Teaching English online has become a lucrative career for native English speakers. It allows them to make money using the skill in speaking a language they were born to speak. However, if you want to teach English online but have no degree, it can be a bit more difficult to find a company to work for.
Teaching English online without a degree
Teaching online also gives the freedom to teach just about anywhere as long as they have a suitable internet connection, a quiet and well-lighted place to work in, and the enthusiasm to arouse the curiosity of their students.
Many online English teaching companies like SayABC require a college degree before they accept a teacher. But did you know that some companies allow you to teach online even without a bachelor’s degree? Well, with these companies all you need to do is meet their basic requirements.
But before we talk about these companies, let’s go through some basic requirements you need to allow you to teach English online.
Basic Requirements to Teach English Online
Native English speakers already have an advantage over non-native speakers. But the requirements to teach English online doesn’t stop with the ability to speak the language fluently. Let’s talk about these requirements,
Native English speaker
This is the first requirement to get a job teaching English online. You would fit the bill to a tee if you come from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. There are even some companies that include people who come from South Africa to this list. Interested in teaching in Africa? Find out more here: Teaching English in Africa.
TEFL Certificate
Being a native English speaker isn’t enough since you also need to have a TEFL certificate. These certificates show that you are qualified to teach English online.
There are a lot of companies offering TEFL courses that give you a certificate after you’re done. All you need to do is finish the course and get the certificate. Check out one of our top recommendations:
Experience with Kids
Since most companies offer ESL classes to kids, it’s important for you to know how to handle kids. Even though you’re teaching online, you still need to know how to keep them engaged and encourage them to participate in your classes.
Have the Right Equipment For Teaching ESL Online Without a Degree
Working online means you need to have the equipment to connect with your students abroad. So, you will have to make sure your equipment fits the requirements of the company. Some may specify the computer or laptop you should use along with the internet connection you should use for your classes.
Most ESL companies require you to use a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam. But there are a few who only require a smartphone for you to teach online. Just make sure to check the requirements of the company before you apply for a job.
Online Companies Accepting ESL Teachers without Degrees
Did you meet all the requirements enumerated above? If yes, let’s now talk about the ESL companies accepting teachers without degrees.
PalFish and Teaching ESL Online No Degree
No computer or laptop? No problem if you’re teaching at PalFish. The company allows its teachers to use a smartphone or tablet to connect with their students online. All the teachers need to do is to download the PalFish app on their devices to give them access to the students of the company.
When it comes to the salary, PalFish teachers start as Level 1 teachers with a base pay of $15.50 USD per hour and they gradually work up to Level 5 where the base pay is at $21 USD per hour. The company also has a notable incentive program where teachers can earn up to $147 for being one of the top ten teachers at the end of each month. Find out more:
Find out more about online teaching jobs with no degree:
NiceTalk for Teaching English Online Without a Degree
Similar to PalFish, NiceTalk doesn’t require their teachers to have a computer or laptop to teach. All the teachers need is an Android or an iOS device. While a TEFL certificate and experience is preferred, it’s not a requirement for this ESL company.
One thing that stands out with NiceTalk is the flexibility they provide their teachers since they don’t require them to work a certain number of hours each week. The teachers also have freedom when they would work. They just have to log into the app and start teaching.
But with great flexibility comes great compromise, and in this case, the compromise is the salary. Teachers only get a $10 USD per hour rate. So, if you’re willing to concede to a lower salary to get the flexibility the company offers, then NiceTalk would be a good place for you to teach English online. Learn more:
Teach ESL online without a degree
iTalki
If you’re applying for a job at iTalki, you have the option of being a Professional Teacher or a Community Tutor. Even as a Professional Teacher requires a university qualification or a degree, a Community Tutor only needs a TEFL certification.
With this, you can apply for a Community Tutor at iTalki if you don’t have a degree. Being a Community Tutor, there is no structured lesson plan to follow. You’re mainly helping the students improve their conversational skills.
When it comes to the salary, you set your own rates. While there is no maximum rate, you’ll have to price it suitably to avoid pricing yourself out of the reach of your students. Community Tutors normally set a price of $9 USD to $12 USD per hour.
Cafetalk
Cafetalk offers a wide variety of lessons, including Music, French Language, and even Piano lessons. But English language lessons appear to be the most popular on the website. The company only has a couple of basic requirements: at least 20 years old, a native speaker, and legally allowed to work in your home country.
You can set your own rates and availability on the website. But you also have to make your own lesson plans, unlike other companies where the lessons are prepared for the teachers. Since the company offers these lessons to Japanese students, you should avoid being late for your classes.
Yeko
Yeko English specializes in teaching English to young learners in China. Although the pay is lower than some other companies, they do have two distinct advantages. The first is that a degree is not required and the second is that they allow non-native English speakers from certain countries in Europe.
Want to know more? Check out all the details you need to know right here:
Classo
If you want to teach students in South Korea online and get paid a very decent wage to do it, then consider working with Classo. They have far fewer requirements in terms of degrees, TEFL certifications and being a native speaker than do most other companies in this space.
However, they do want you to have some teaching experience. And you also have to promote yourself in order to attract students. So, if this sounds like it might work for you, have a look here:
Cambly
Cambly is a popular option for native English speakers to teach English online even though they don’t have a degree. The only requirements of the company are that you’re a native English speaker and you have the necessary equipment to connect with the students.
In terms of monetary compensation, Cambly pays $10.20 USD per teaching hour. While this may be lower than what other companies offer, you have the flexibility to teach anytime you want to. Moreover, the lessons will be conversational and your students will likely be adults who want to improve their English skills.
Teaching English online doesn’t have to be complicated if you’re a native English speaker. You don’t need a degree or, in some cases, even a TEFL certificate. There are a lot of companies that accept native English speakers without degrees and all you need to do is search for them online, and start your career as an online English teacher.
Find out more details about teaching online with no degree with Cambly:
Have your Say about Teaching English Online No Degree
What are the best companies to teach English online without a degree? Is it one of the places we mentioned, or do you have another that you’d like to recommend? Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
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Teach English online without degree
