Thanks for being so honest. I've been teaching for years and you are spot on! Another thing I'd say is that don't ONLY look at the hourly rate. Pay attention to the actual duration of classes. Some classes are just 20, 30 minutes or 45 minutes, but the businesses will offer you a great hourly rate, knowing you won't actually be paid by the hour.
I’ve been watching a lot of videos on teaching online and they have been super helpful but this is the first video that has talked about the big negative things that could happen that you might not expect! Thank you so much for your honesty. As an ESL teaching currently in China I know first hand what it’s like to deal with the consequences of being uninformed because information was withheld! Again. I appreciate the honesty, there’s so many things I wish I would’ve known before moving here though I don’t regret it at all. It’s videos like this I wish I could’ve seen first!
Girl, I have been teaching in the classroom for 21 years and it’s no different. I had to entertain and be creative in order to keep the kids interested and focused. Some parents can be a problem and a principle can fire you if she does not like you. Of course its much more difficult to get fired if you work for a public school or the Catholic school system because they hire you on a yearly basis and there are rules they must go by. They cannot give you any excuse to fire you, but they will try it. Many times the teachers get treated like kids, which always made me very upset. I can continue, but it’s much easier to teach on on and far more convenient. Thank you for your honesty about teaching on line. I will share with a friend who lives in Chili and is trying to get an on line teaching job. Things are tough in her country right now. She speaks 4 languages, including English and is very intelligent. I pray she gets a good job.
Thank you for clearly, directly, and persuasively identifying potential pitfalls and common perils in teaching English online. Your warnings about the causal racism among too many language schools (and too students) echoes the negative experiences of other dedicated ELT professionals that I know. It certainly behooves more ELT/TEFL organizations to explicitly condemn the anti-Black discrimination that still persists in too many places.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it is always true that being an ESL teacher is like being a a stand up comedian. Sometimes it works great, the same not. Depends on the crowd.
So true!!! I remember having a perfect discussion lesson with one group of students: 45 minutes of them exchanging ideas, arguing, in short: real life speaking. Next day I take the same text I used as a springboard for that heated discussion, and, taking another success for granted, cast it in front of another group of students and... SILENCE. The lesson fell flat and my heart sank. All the best from Poland :)
Oliver Read I believe it’s because of not having the Teslo certificate. I am hoping it not anything else. I will keep you posted after I’m done with the course and re-apply.
꧁ CherryFrosty ꧂ I take offense at your post. Lazy people come in all sizes and shapes and certainly all colors. This is not the time in America to be putting black people down. My husband is African-American and therefore my three children are considered African-American. They are hard-working, educated, citizens of the United States.
FINALLY! An AWESOME Teacher like Carli to keep it REAL with everyone because it is NOT easy being a Teacher/Tutor at all especially when working with companies with lots of control. That's why I use those companies as my side income while I continue to build my own Online Tutoring Support Services. I call the SHOTS now! :)
Wow, thank you! That's awesome. I have been creating my own lessons lately as well. It's not easy to get many students though and I have issues with some of the students having tech issues on their end. There are def. pros and cons to both. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for so much information. I'm currently teaching at 2 companies. Your video for the best companies to teach to adults was extremely helpful. I have taught PK-college division classes, so I like to mix it up. Keep posting (I'll be a you-tuber but its refreshing to hear someone this candid about the realities of teaching ESL/EFL online Tutoring companies.
Hi sarah , can u give me a suggestion ...i have tefl, usa citizenship and BA but no english teaching experience. Where do u suggest i start teaching online, and how much can i expect to make in the beginning? Thanks
Awesome video Carli! Glad I finally caught up with this. So glad you talked about the random contract changes, this has happened to me at two out of the three companies I have worked with!
I love beginning . I get a nice 80s vibe, my favorite era. I teach online too and found everything you said very true. My favorite was number one, you def are there to entertain/babysit some of them. Luckily, I work with adults, but when I did have kids I dealt with this.
Thanks! My regulars are older kids that I don't have entertain really so I'm lucky. I'm going to check out the company, PAGODA TALKOOL, that you mentioned in your video
You're so helpful and wonderful. I've learned so much so fast. Since my first video of yours cheap online TESL, I have one! Actually two the TESL and the TEFL, both from IOA. Still getting everything together so thank you. You are certainly entertaining, and educational too.
I worked for 51Talk for about a year. The main issues were technical issues and penalties. Yes, as you stated, you have to have a good internet connection/good hardware. Lessons are early in the morning if you are in North America so you have to be ok with a 5 am start time in some cases. Also, I wouldn't see it as a full-time thing. I think it is good as a part-time situation. I didn't really experience discrimination with them. I am black and I kept getting more and more bookings. I always got paid on time too.
Youre amazing Carli, bless ya! In my experience teaching in Viet Nam 13 years ago, it was less about even the entertainment value and more so about status. They wanted their kid at private ESL schools as it was the start of the emergence of Viet Nams middle class. They gave zero shits about their kids learning anything. It was impossible for them to even know their kids progress as adults at that time spoke nearly zero English. When it came to testing and reviewing, they had the 'co teachers' aka local teachers who've sat in ya class all term and looked at their phone, hit the kids or just wandered around. They did the 'exams' for the kids and passed them all with flying colours (even if the kid knew nothing n didnt try at all) so the parents would pay for the next term. Parents peering into ya classroom for the whole session was my biggest pet peeve. Theyd get annoyed if i drew the blinds coz they wanted to 'watch the show'. That was my experience at the most prestigious school, VSU, in Sai Gon. Also often u were teaching 6-9pm when kids had started school at 7am that day and finished at 3pm.. they were burnt out and losing their childhood to a pointless status exercise for their parents flex.. Total bullshit start to finish. Simultaneously, I worked in Sai Gon public schools with no co-teachers, no syllabus and no books, 40+ kids to a class, all ranges of English and had an amazing time crafting, testing and guiding the kids to engage and try genuinely.. the kids were also less spoilt little shits. Everyone preaches 'full immersion' in English but being able to switch to Viet Namese to help sometimes was hella helpful n unlike the private schools that forbid it, public schools i could utilise it. Overall, teaching in SE Asia was, 10+ years ago at least, a fuckin joke. Any of my friends who said otherwise were milking it or unphazed by the total corruption of what education was intended for. Can imagine how all these elements would be compounded by the Internet platform.. You're amazing btw Carli to endure it, great video.. i was thinking of returning to ESL teaching but ya vid has reminded me how much of a time sink it is In the end, my advice: find committed students to tutor in ya local area.
I have the initial interview with EF tomorrow night. Its for the on-site teaching opportunity in China. I as well am black and on the darker side. Once EF sees what I look like, I wonder how fast the rejection email will come. Hopefully I can wow them with my enunciation and cadence (call center jobs can really train you hard on that.) I am more nervous than I was before but I'm still going to try. Going to stay positive and hunt the good stuff in life. Thank you for the down-to-earth talk. Sometimes I let my fantasies remove me from the reality.
I understand. I have heard of these issue. I am an ESL teacher and you have helped me a lot. Sorry to be not PC but at least for students I think you have you have a great atmosphere and friendly face that should be great to be online. You said otherwise, and I have a clue which countries have a problem with their instructors. Worked over 20 years in this industry and know it all. I want to add that Japanese used to be polite but not very, very aggressive. Good luck for you and I definitely like you!
Yes, appearance is very important online, but is isn't fair to hire people based on appearance. It just reinforces negative stereotypes. You must have see many changes in the last 20 years! It has changed a lot in just the last 7 years since I started. Overall, would you say things are getting better? Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this. I hate being an edutator. I prefer teaching adults but have done interviews for Magic Ears and Vipkid and they both made me want to vomit with the amount of fake cheesy actions I had to do. Its totally insincere and I think, disrespects educated, thoughtful but relaxed and calm teachers who like to use language and not MIMING to teach students. We aren't clowns.
I was just watching quite a few videos for vipkid and I was feeling the exact same thing. Kids are far more capable than how these teachers were treating them. Baby talk for a level 6 student. It just shows that I think a lot of these people don't have actual teaching backgrounds, and haven't had to make it in a public school environment. My teaching is far more practical.
@@lockergr I applied for Likeshuo and in the interviewer was actually pleased and looking for more spontanious and additional actions aside from what was put on the demo slides - not to go by an exact "script". Just goes to show not every place is the same. So far, they have been good to me
I'm just starting my research. This is exactly what I needed to know (especially about a certain company that rhymes with Ambley...) THANK YOU! PS: Can I "like" this twice? I need to like this twice. Maybe three times. I need this.
So right -- after a year and a half I got a non contract renewal -- It is okay -- these companies are a profit factory and nothing more -- I appreciate this
Thank you Carli for sharing this information. I’m new to the ESL platform and this was helpful information. Checking out 51Talk now and your video. 😊 Happy Teaching!
Carli, I think you are really lovely. Thank you very much for your honesty. I can never, never understand people who are racists. It's so not me....who cares what skin colour you are...not me. I only care whether one is kind and honest..my very best wishes to you. You are smart and you know what's going on. Take care. I am from 🇩🇪 and live in the 🇬🇧.
I voluntarily left 51talk for paying me less after 2 years.... started working for iTutorGroup for 6 months and was let go without them taking into consideration that 3 of the absences started BEFORE I even started working. Now I NEED a job.
Sad reality, the students knew first that the Philippine office will be closed by September 30, 2020. I do not want to overthink, why Japanese headquarters close an online teaching business considering it is the in thing at this time of pandemonium. Ouch I am fired, jobless but confident together with all the educators, this is our vocation
I'm currently teaching ESL in Indonesia (not online, but in person). They are for sure looking for teachers to entertain rather than teach English well. The first word they taught me in training was "retention." At the end of the day, these companies are for-profit companies, and they only keep making money if their students keep coming. And if the students hate the class then they tell their parents and eventually stop coming. So I don't personally hold it against them. It is about getting creative with how to engage students and make them love learning English by having fun while still making a solid lesson plan.
Yes, I agree to a certain extent. A good teacher should be able to engage the students, teach them, and instill in them the desire to learn English. I just think entertaining is taking precedence over everything else and that's the problem.
Hi Carli, you should consider reading books on tape. Your voice is soothing. Thank you for sharing this information....still considering teaching online.
do you happen to know if you can re-apply to any of these companies. I struggled to get headphones which didn't help my teaching at all!!!!! So I would love to give it a go again. :-) Thank you so much for this video - really great, full of info and so well informed. Thanks for your hard work and sharing xxx
Do NOT work for English Ninjas if they’re still in business! They did-as you say-change the pay structure on short notice + they did a lot of other crazy crap. See online reviews. When I started working for English Ninjas, it was a fun and relaxed place to work and then the company started going psycho. FYI.
I have the same problems teaching here is in Spain. When I taught online the biggest problem i had was that the kids didn't want to interact or speak 😐
Just subscribed to your channel :) Really like your videos. I myself am looking into teaching english online so I can go to school in Taiwan. Thanks for this video :)
Carli Mitch no not yet, I’m working on getting my tefl right now. Groupon and all 😂 but I don’t have a bachelors so that is the trouble I’m having. I’m a creative Pro at apple so I have experience teaching work shops with kids and adults, but no degree :(
Hi Carli! First of all, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! I have a few questions for you. 😊 How about working as a freelancer on Fiverr or something else? Why do online ESL teachers want to work for companies? I don't know anything about online teaching. I'm just trying to understand what online ESL teachers want. I hope you'll see my comment. Love❤️
Thank you.. May I ask you this? What does the smart new would-be teacher do when applying? a) Say nothing about working for other companies. Vs b) be up front and state that you want to work for other companies or even ask if it is OK? Then, just say you get employed but you are forced to sign a ‘no-I-won’t-work-for other-companies’ declaration, what would be the consequences? Blacklisted?
@@CarliMitch That is not what I meant. (But thanks) I don’t mind about what they think. I mind about what do you SAY about it if asked? (Please don’t say, use your common sense, because I wouldn’t be asking if you know what I mean) . Thanks a lot for responding though. Have to think like a lawyer I suppose, but I don’t know.
What are your thoughts on teaching for EF..I began with them this month and love working with the kids! Only thing is my bookings are low atm. But I love that they dont require you to be an edutainer.
that was so helpful, but I have a question if you don't mind, Why don't you make English lessons on RU-vid, that way you can have a lot of English learners then make online courses and be "your own boss" ? Isn't that better than working for companies?
Everything you said was spot on! I taught for nearly 2 years and one thing I realised was that I wasn't as discriminated against as my darker skinned colleagues. Yes, I am black and very light in complexion. It was almost as if being light skinned made them kinda see me as one of them.
I would love to see a whole vlog series about your life in Spain. Where you shop, your neighborhood, fun things you like to do in the area where you live. I’m hoping to live there one day too. Thanks!
Is it not to correct that if you going to a class as a student you have to know your program and follow it to manage next level as in ordinairy schools. It is always requirements for all of us to attend in schools program and that if you want something out of it you must pay attention to the teachers teaching. Why bother to complain if you follow the ground level of requirements that usually are there in the world of schools?
Can you make a living off it alone? I just finished a year in australia on a working holiday visa and want to travel more bit cant without some sort of income coming in
Yes, absolutely. Check out my latest video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q1fJ39otjIE.html You can teach anything with the last company that I mention. Thanks for watching!
DO NOT APPLY TO Magic Ears. They engage in age discrimination. I did a great job giving my 8-minute interview, which I prepared hours for. They had encouraged me saying I would be a perfect fit and could probably get a secondary position as in interviewer. For the interview, I had several fun props: a ball to toss, a stuffed dolphin, a spy glass, and I even wore a cap with the inflatable ears. I was very playful and energetic for the entire 8 minutes. The interviewer told me the next step would be the trial 25-minute class, where I would be taught how to use the platform better, and suggested that I get a headset. So, I expected to be hired. Oh, but the next day I was told I didn't pass. IMPOSSIBLE. I practiced their demo video over and over and did virtually all the same things. I am American with two Master's degrees and over 20 years of experience teaching ESL. But, I'm 70 -- That's the problem.
Really sorry to hear that. Age discrimination unfortunately really common in the online ESL industry. I hope you find a company that values your skills and abilities!
Thanks for watching! I am much better now. I have heard about Whales, but I don't personally know anyone who works for them so I don't know if they are a good company or not really.
Hello Carli I am form PR but raised in Illinois my English is fluent no accent at all, I also speaking fluent Spanish, what type of advantage does this give me in the teaching field, what city do you recommend to begin. Thk you, keep up with your awesome helpful vids.
Thanks for watching! If you are looking to earn more money offline, I would actually market myself as an American if I were you. Native English teachers have more of an advantage in the ESL world. Asia pays the most. I have a video about a great agency that you can use for the 2019-2020 school year. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K1QuH2lBWMg.html
Contract ?what contract ? A contract means absolutely nothing. Don’t even think about it. You’re on your own here. Have a backup plan. Never had a contract in years. No contract. These are companies and NOT schools. They change every day and it’s a minefield. It’s them against you. The odds aren’t good. My online company in Beijing is a nightmare. They know nothing about teaching and are cruel and vengeful, much like some of the parents of the students.
Right now, even though companies are saying schedule an interview, every time I fill out info to do an interview I get rejected. I've tried iTutor and VIPKid. I have a degree and teaching experience. I'm wondering if this is happening with others. The pandemic has forced a lot of people to look elsewhere for a job and it looks like it is effecting the online tutor service.
Yes, it is common nowadays. Check out my latest video where I talk about 5 companies that are definitely hiring and teachers are getting booked. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q1fJ39otjIE.html
Did they tell you specifically why they rejected you? I'm just curious because I've been with Vipkid and another company for a long time. I recently applied for a third who nit-picked every little thing about my pics and video...
Sorry to hear that. I have lost some of my in-person classes as well. I would suggest applying to some of the companies that I mention in my videos on my channel. I hope you get something quickly!
Gabo Prado Everything depends on you and your ability. Does not have much to do with TEFL. People care about your experience in life. And your ability to be easygoing, clever and kind.
What do you think of iTutorGroup or iTutor? (I think they might be synonymous.) I've submitted my application with them but haven't been interviewed with them yet. Would you recommend me to continue my application with them?
I hear mixed reviews about them from current teachers. I would try applying to other companies and not stress about working at itutor. Check out my newest videos to learn about some of the top companies that I am recommending right now. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pACIA2NrMr4.html
Hello Carli, I tried to use your referral code for 51Talk. After the password, the "join us" link button does not work. This is likely holding up your referrals. If you can find an answer for this I will wait until Thursday, May 2. Thanks Carli, your vids are great. Question: How did you make your way to living in Spain. You appear to be American. Thanks.
Thanks Chabree! Sorry it took me so long to apply, but anyhow 51Talk HAWO (North American) is not currently hiring. If you are not from NA, you can apply to INET. My link is for HAWO. I am American. I have a video all about the Spanish government's program that I used to get work and move to Spain. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dVQUJwq16No.html
Thanks Carli for this great information! I have a request though please? I cannot seem to get a scheduled interview...Can you help with this? Thank you!
Thanks for watching! As far as online, I do not know any companies specifically looking for someone who speaks English and Spanish. Perhaps it could be useful working on a platform like Verbling, where you set your own prices. You could market yourself as an English teacher who speaks Spanish. You would get more Spanish students that way. www.verbling.com/teach
@@CarliMitch Sorry to hear that Carli! Be brave stay home stay safe. Hope you re feeling better now! I'm China so I know what you are experiencing! Wish you the best! Can't wait to work in partnership! Cheers!
Hi Carli - I'm close to retiring & would like to teach ESL for fun & as a way to supplement my income - can someone my age ( 60 - something) really expect to get hired? I have a Masters degree & some teaching experience at the community college level - though not in English. I'm a native English language speaker. Thx for all you do.
Hi Niefia, thanks for watching. Yes! You can absolutely find work. Don't be discouraged by your age. Check out verbling if you have a hard time hired by other companies. Best of luck! ☺️
Personally, I don't bother using props. But likely coz I teacher 13+. I would be exactly like you if I had to fake my emotions all the time and depend on those props. Although I don't have the concern of race, it's f***ing sad how bad it is in Asia.
