Tips to Become a Successful Online Tutor of English

If you are an English language teacher, or someone with an excellent knowledge of the subject, you could earn extra cash by working as an online tutor of English language.

Online tutoring is a burgeoning industry, and working as an online tutor of English has many advantages. You can work from home and potentially teach English to students not only in the UAE but also in other countries. Getting started as an online tutor of English requires minimal upfront investment. All you need is a good internet connection, a reliable PC or laptop with a webcam (which in all likelihood you already have), and a microphone headset for superior clarity of sound as you speak and listen.

While getting started is relatively easy, to be successful as an online tutor of English, you must be able to provide a learning experience to the student that is at par, if not superior, to a face to face tutorial.

To ensure that your teaching is effective, you must pay attention to the following aspects-

     1. Use expressive body language

When you teach remotely, all the student can see is your face and hands. Therefore, the focus on the body language in an online tutorial is even more than an in-person interaction. Maintain eye contact with the student as much as possible, and avoid looking at the keyboard or elsewhere.  Sit straight and feel free to use your hands to support your expressions as you speak. Modulate your voice to keep the listener engaged. Also, be cognitive of the student’s body language to ensure that they are involved during the session.

     2. Encourage friendly dialogue

An online tutorial can quickly become a one-way discourse, with the online tutor speaking most of the time and the student nodding their head in agreement (like a classroom environment). Don’t let the session become a monologue, instead encourage interaction.

Before you begin the session, let the student know that they can interrupt you at any time to ask questions. If the student does not seem to be taking the initiative, pause every few minutes or so to check back with the student’s understanding of what’s being taught.

     3. Be thorough with your subject

When a family enrols their child for online tuition, there is always some degree of scepticism on its effectiveness. One way to dispel any such fear is to ensure that you are thorough with the academic course content. Before you begin each session, be well-prepared about what you are going to teach and how you are going to teach. Your student must walk away from each session feeling that you are really good at teaching the subject.

     4. Make learning interactive and fun

Online tutors can use online applications to make the session more interactive. Some of the online tools you can include are educational video games, online whiteboards, mind maps, and video slideshows. Here is a list of 102 free online toolsthat can make online learning interactive.

     5. Be flexible in your teaching approach

One size does not fit all. You have to pay attention to the individual learning needs of each student. Some students may have a strong grasp of grammar and spelling, while others may find these aspects of the English language challenging. A student could be well-versed with the rules of grammar, but lack the confidence in spoken English.

The best way to ensure that you help the student is to identify the learning requirements before you begin tutoring, then make a conscious effort to focus on those improvement areas in each session.

     6. Manage your time well

If you have a one-hour tutorial, break down the session into three slots. For instance, 5 minutes to recap the learning of the previous meeting, 45 minutes to impart the planned learning for the tutorial, and 10 minutes for question and answers during the session. Manage your time well to ensure that you cover everything as intended and can start your next online tuition session on time.

Following these six tips will make sure that you offer the best possible learning experience for your students. However, at the end of the day, you must also remember that you are running a business, and you must take time out to promote your services.

The best way to do that is to be internet-savvy. Create a business website, blog and social media pages to build an online presence and display your knowledge of the English language. Social media can also be used to share interesting videos such as movie and news clips that are in some way informative for your students.

Engaging with your clients in a professional manner via social media, will also help you build a rapport with students and parents, and generate a referral pipeline of future clients.

Happy teaching!