Xhosa is a language spoken by millions of people across southern Africa. In order to master this language, one must live in the country itself where most people speak it as their first language. However, you don’t need to leave your home to master this language. You can learn Xhosa through the English medium from any place in the world with internet access and some time on your hands. The following are some of the best online English teaching websites for learning Xhosa and mastering this beautiful and captivating language:
Wondering what is the best company to teach English online? It depends on your qualifications, but for citizens of Canada, the United States, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa there’s no question that working for Magic Ears is your best option because you can work remotely and the pay is high (up to $26/hour).
Other standouts are VIPKID, EF Education First, Skimatalk, Preply, and GoGoKid.
There are lots of online teaching jobs out there, but if you want to teach English online, you need to make sure you’re going with a reputable company.
Unfortunately for those of you who aren’t from Canada, the United States, the UK, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, you won’t be able to work with the companies that pay the most.
Don’t worry though, there are more options listed below.
Update April 2021: Magic Ears is currently looking to hire as many online English teachers as possible. VIPKID is also looking to hire many online ESL teachers, making it a great time to apply.
My best piece of advice when applying to teach English online is to submit your application to more than one company on this list. The more places you apply, the greater your odds are of getting hired.
1. Magic Ears – Teach English Online to Chinese Students
Magic Ears is currently the top choice for ESL teachers from the USA and Canada. Founded in 2017, this company is a great option for English teachers.
The platform connects teachers with Chinese students aged 4 – 12. Lesson planning, marking homework, and speaking with the students’ parents are all dealt with by Magic Ears — you’re simply there to teach!
Classes are 25 minutes long, and you can earn up to $26 per hour. Have a look at this honest Magic Ears review for more details.
Pros to Teach English Online With Magic Ears:
- It’s a high-paying position at up to $26 per hour
- Offers positions to applicants from USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia
- You can work remotely from anywhere in the world
- Magic Ears offers a TEFL for just $20 (may not transfer to other online English teaching jobs)
- Set your own schedule
- Don’t have to commit to a certain amount of teaching hours
- Classes are 4-on-1 which is easier to manage than a larger group
- Magic Ears creates the lesson plans for you
- Application and interview procedure is easy
- Use their teaching platform — no need to download any apps or programs
- You don’t need to speak Mandarin or Cantonese
- Salaries are paid via PayPal
- There’s an engaging community on Facebook and assistance is available
Cons to Teaching English Online With Magic Ears:
- Time change issues if you aren’t living in Asia
- Bachelor’s Degree or active enrollment in a Bachelor’s Degree program is required
- Classes can change up to 24 hours before
2. GoGoKid – Teach English Online to Chinese Students
GoGoKid is a great option for teachers from Canada and the United States. This relatively new company has been around since 2018 but has been quickly making a name for itself.
The platform connects English teachers with Chinese children aged 3-12. You won’t have to worry about creating lesson plans, marking homework, or speaking with the parents, GoGoKid takes care of that and you get to focus on teaching ESL.
Classes are 25 minutes long each, and you can earn up to $7-10 dollars per class. However, there are incentives for an additional $2.50 per class bringing the potential total to $12.50 per class, or $25 USD per hour.
Pros to Teach English Online With GoGoKid:
- It’s high-paying at up to $12.50 per class ($25 per hour)
- Work remotely from anywhere in the world
- Set your own schedule (but open at least 30 “peak hour” slots within your first 30 days)
- Classes are 1-on-1 which is easier to manage than a larger group
- GoGoKid creates the lesson plans for you
- Application and interview procedure is easy
- Use their teaching platform — no need to download any apps or programs
- You don’t need to speak Mandarin or Cantonese
- Salaries are paid via PayPal or wire transfer
- There’s an engaging community on Facebook and assistance is available
- GoGoKid offers online academy training and live workshops
Cons to Teaching English Online With GoGoKid:
- Only Canadians and Americans can apply
- You must hold a Bachelor’s Degree (in any subject)
- You need to have a TEFL Certificate (which isn’t a con really, as it will help you be a better teacher)
- Time change issues if you aren’t living in Asia
- The interview process is a bit confusing
- The payment and bonus system is also confusing
3. VIPKID – Teach English Online to Chinese Students
VIPKID is an excellent option for North Americans who want to teach English online to children in China. This company came onto the scene in 2013 and has been exploding ever since.
The platform connects Chinese students with teachers and they deal with the lesson planning, marking of tests, and speaking with the parents of the children you teach. When I taught English in China, those were things I had to do on my own, which was definitely a downside!
Classes are 25-30 minutes each, with a potential earning of $22 / hour. Learn more about working with this company in our honest review of VIPKID.
Update April, 2021: As mentioned above, VIPKID is now looking to hire a lot of teachers. If you want to teach English online and are from the USA or Canada, now is a good time to apply — plus, you can work from anywhere in the world.
Pros To Teach English Online With VIPKID:
- Work remotely from anywhere in the world
- VIPKID creates the lesson plans for you
- VIPKID is a recognized and professional company
- Set your own schedule to work as many or as few hours as you like
- It’s high-paying (up to $22 / hour)
- The students are adorable and well-behaved
- All classes are 1-on-1
- Helpful community of teachers and staff of VIPKID
- You don’t need to speak Mandarin or Cantonese
- Holiday and seasonal incentive (ie: paid extra for working Christmas)
- $50-$60 referral bonus
Cons To Teach English Online With VIPKID:
- It’s only for North American teachers
- You must have a University degree (in any subject)
- Only teaching children in China (as opposed to different ages, in different countries)
- Time change issues if you aren’t in Asia
- If your internet cuts out for more than 3 minutes, you will be charged with cancellation of a class
4. Qkids – Teach English Online to Chinese Students
This program is actually very similar to VIPKID, but there are a few differences.
Pros To Teach English Online With Qkids:
- You don’t need to have a degree, BUT you must be currently enrolled in University
- High-paying – up to $20 / hour
- All materials and lessons are provided
- Training is included
- Flexible schedule
- You don’t need to speak Mandarin or Cantonese
- Very engaged community
Cons To Teach English Online With Qkids:
- You must actually be living in Canada or the United States
- No holiday or seasonal pay incentive (ie: no extra pay if you work during Christmas)
- It’s only for North American teachers
- You’ll only teach Chinese children (rather than students from around the world, and of all ages)
- Time change issues since you aren’t living in Asia
- You must commit to a minimum of 6 hours per week
- 4 students maximum per class (could be either a pro or a con depending on what you prefer)
Both VIPKID and Qkids are great companies and they both pay their teachers well, but each has its own style. Maybe apply for both of them (or all of them in this article), so that you have a better chance at being hired, and making more money!
5. Cambly – Tutoring Online to Worldwide Students
Cambly is a much more informal teaching setting than Magic Ears, VIPKID, Qkids and GoGoKid, and there are many differences.
The people who you’ll be talking with already speak English at some level and for the most part, they are just wanting to practice their conversational skills.
This is a platform where students sign up and pay a fee, and log-in via an app to chat with tutors who are online. Teachers (tutors) can log-in at random, or you can book a shift.
Although there are students from all around the world, most of them hail from Saudi Arabia. As of recently, however, there has been a boom in South Korean and Turkish students. Here are the pros & cons of online tutoring with Cambly.
Pros To Teach English Online With Cambly:
- Work online from anywhere in the world
- No experience necessary
- No university degree or TEFL certificate required
- Set your own hours
- Meet people of all ages from all over the world
- Can have repeat students who you really get to know
- Informal setting where you just chat with students about casual topics
- Lessons and materials are available with Cambly if needed
- Easy sign-up
- No contract needed
- Safety protocols in place (ie: ban student immediately for inappropriate behavior)
Cons To Teach English Online With Cambly:
- The pay isn’t very high ($0.17/minute, which is $10.20 / hour)
- No guaranteed hours
- It can be tedious to “chit-chat” all of the time
- There’s a free trial available for new students meaning you may have to deal with a few who aren’t serious about practicing their English
- There’s the potential for inappropriate students, especially if you are a female tutor (hit that “ban” button!)
- You will need to be sensitive to the cultures of many countries, and be aware of what is acceptable to talk about / not talk about
*Note: It was suggested by a female Cambly teacher to not use your real identity when signing up as a tutor. I thought this was a great idea because you’ll avoid having people potentially stalking your personal social media profiles. One downside of the internet!
Click here to read our review of Cambly and click here to apply.