How To Teach English Online While Traveling
If you’re planning to teach English online while traveling, there are some practical tips to make your life much easier, such as ensuring you’ve obtained your TEFL certificate from a reliable organisation like The TEFL Org and choosing the right equipment to get you off to the best start.
It’s possible to find a job teaching English all over the world, but thanks to the many online language schools that are proving to be extremely popular amongst prospective students, you can enjoy a lot more freedom in terms of where you want to live and work.
Whether you’re going to base yourself in a single location overseas or are planning your perfect road trip around Europe, Asia or South America while working as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) professional, you’ll be able to maximise the benefits of your exciting career by paying attention to this helpful advice.
What Are The Top Tips For Teaching English While You Travel?
The top tips for teaching English as a foreign language while travelling include:
- Getting the right qualifications.
- Choosing the right equipment.
- Planning for suitable internet connections.
- Setting up an effective classroom.
What Qualifications Do I Need To Teach English Online While Traveling?
You’ll need a TEFL certificate to successfully teach English as a foreign language online while you’re traveling.
The TEFL qualification is recognised all over the world, and the top online language schools actively seek out professionals who have obtained this certificate, accredited by a reputable body. With that in mind, it’s important to choose the right provider of TEFL courses. The best ones, like The TEFL Org, always ensure that their courses have high-quality accreditation, as well as offering each learner the added advantage of a personal tutor for extra support and guidance.
Being TEFL qualified will set you apart from other applicants for posts and, more importantly, it will guarantee that you have all the necessary knowledge and skills that you need to successfully deliver English lessons to speakers of other languages.
The good news is that you won’t need a degree or any higher-level qualifications to embark on a TEFL course. As long as you’re a native English speaker and are enthusiastic about teaching, you can begin studying for a TEFL qualification without even needing any prior classroom experience.
What Kind Of Equipment Do I Need?
You’ll need good-quality equipment that will withstand the rigors of traveling, but fortunately, you won’t need to invest in too many items. Often, a headset and laptop are all you’ll need to get started.
A lightweight but sturdy laptop will ensure that you can easily access your online language school’s platform and learning resources. A suitable carrying case or bag will make transporting your equipment easier, too.
While a headset may not strictly be necessary, it’s often best to use one to ensure the most effective communication with your learners, as you’ll be able to hear each other clearly. This is particularly important if you’ll be working in an environment with any background noise.
There are some other pieces of equipment that you may wish to invest in, such as a ring light to ensure optimal visibility while you work or props to use during your lesson delivery. However, these things aren’t usually necessary, so you don’t need to add them to your travel baggage if they’ll weigh you down unduly.
Where Can I Teach English From While I Travel?
You can teach English on your travels from virtually any location as long as there is not too much background noise and you have a good internet connection.
Whether you’re planning to tour with a campervan, stay in hostels or rent apartments in your chosen location, it’s important to ensure that you’ll have access to the internet at a speed that will allow you to seamlessly communicate with your students.
To avoid any potential issues, before you set off on your travels, make sure to:
- Check internet speeds at hotels or rentals before you arrive and only book once you’re confident that it can meet your needs. You’ll need a 20 Mbps download speed as a minimum and 10 Mbps for uploads.
- Consider investing in a portable hotspot and a SIM card for the area that you’re traveling in. This will give you greater freedom in where you can work from.
- Check that your phone has roaming enabled and that you’ve got a data plan that works overseas in the countries you’ll be visiting so that you have a suitable backup should something go wrong.
How Do I Set Up An Effective Classroom On The Move?
Setting up an effective English classroom while traveling only requires at least a plain backdrop and a quiet environment.
A small and easily set-up workspace that is simple to transport is your best solution. A folding poster makes an effective backdrop, and you will easily be able to pack it away after use, but if you lack sufficient space in your bags, a plain wall will suffice instead. Make sure you choose a space that has sufficient light, but that isn’t so bright that it makes it difficult for your students to see you clearly.
Place yourself close to power outlets, since you’ll probably need to plug in your laptop and think carefully about the noise levels of the environment before you start work. While some background sounds shouldn’t be a problem, if each lesson is interrupted with loud sirens, noisy building work or screaming babies, it’s not going to offer you or your students an optimal experience.
Some tips to follow include:
- Set your classroom up against one of the non-shared walls in your space to lessen any sounds coming through that could prove disruptive.
- If possible, choose a room away from main roads or noisy spaces such as children’s play areas.
- Use noise-canceling headphones that will block any noise out for both you and your students. This is the best solution if you’re working in an environment where there are other people.
With these top tips at the forefront of your mind, now is the perfect time to get started on your plans to teach English online while traveling. Start working on your TEFL qualification now through The TEFL Org, and you’ll soon be on your way around the world!
