Before the Double Reduction Policy in China back in August 2021, working for an online ESL company was a popular choice. There were so many companies to choose from, and the pay was quite good. VIPKid, PalFish, GoGoKid, Magic Ears, DaDa, and Whales English were some of the big name companies in the industry. If you could manage to get a full schedule of students, teaching online could replace a full time job. Unfortunately this all changed in August 2021 when the Chinese Government announced they were banning online tutoring with foreign teachers. Many of these popular companies closed their doors overnight, and others tried to hang on by trying to reach out to the global market. Many teachers were panicking, and everyone seemed to be branching off into different directions. Some teachers found jobs with other companies with students outside of China, some started working with a marketplace, and some went solo with their own independent teaching business.
What are the differences between companies, marketplaces, and going solo?
COMPANIES OUTSIDE OF THE CHINESE MARKET:
While there are still many companies hiring outside of the Chinese market, unfortunately the pay is quite a bit less than what we had been paid within the Chinese market. Cambly, Engoo, and Native Camp are a few companies that seem to be popular, but the pay is about 10 USD an hour or less. (If you have a contract with Cambly Kids, it is about 12 USD an hour). These companies do supply you with materials, so no lesson planning is necessary.
MARKETPLACES:
Marketplaces became quite popular after the Double Reduction Policy, but these operate quite differently than the Chinese companies. With a marketplace, you must provide your own materials which means you have to either create your own lesson plans, or you can subscribe to a curriculum. There are many curriculums available and you can search to see which one best suits the needs of your students and your teaching style. Abridge Academy, ESL Pals, and Crystal Clear ESL are a few very popular ESL curriculums available for a monthly or annual fee. With an ESL marketplace, you can choose your own rate, but be aware that you will be charged a percentage. Some popular ESL marketplaces are Preply, italki, Amazing Talker, and Allschool. Each of these charges a different percentage and it is important to understand what your take home income will be after this, and adjust your hourly rate accordingly. Also, with a marketplace, it could take some time to build trust with the students, so it could also take some time to build a good student base.
INDEPENDENT TEACHING BUSINESS:
After the closing of the Chinese companies, many teachers turned to WeChat (Chinese WhatsApp) to reach out to the parents of their students and began teaching them independently. In my opinion this is the best option because you will be paid the wage you deserve. In this option there is no middle person or company to take a portion of your income. The rate you charge is the rate you will receive. This option does require the most effort, but it is also the most rewarding.
These are a few things to consider if you plan on teaching independently:
- Who will your target students be? (children, teenagers, adults, students wanting conversation or free talk, students wanting general English lessons, students wanting to do test preparation such as IELTS or TOEFL, etc)
- Do you want to design your own lessons or use a pre-made curriculum?
- Which teaching platform do you plan to use? (ClassIn, Koala Go, Zoom, etc)
- What will your prices be?
- How will you market yourself? (XiaoHongShu, Facebook, Instagram, etc)
- What are your policies? (If the student is late or misses a class, if you are late or miss a class, etc)
- How will you get paid?
As you can see, there is a lot to think about, but it is your business and the effort benefits you. A great thing about the independent teaching option is the community that goes along with it. There are so many Facebook groups and courses available to help you get started. Teaching English online is still a great career choice, it just looks a bit different now.