Job Discussion Forums

[bawny34]

Does anyone have any first-hand experience of giving lessons over the Internet ?

I am looking at applying for an online teaching job at a company based in Japan. I don't live in Japan myself. But I'm just wondering how it has turned out for people? Some questions that come to mind:

-Did you get many hours from it? I know there are no guarantees.
-Were there any issues getting paid? It would appear that you get paid via paypal.
-Any other issues I should look at (taxation is one thing that springs to mind)?

Thanks in advance

[RM1983]

[Big_H]

Greetings bawny,

I have been an online EFL teacher for nearly a year -mostly to Japanese students- as a preparation for the day I come to do it in person in the country. Though I have been doing it pro bono, it's gaining the experience of teaching in Japan that matters to me. So here are my 2c:

- Hours; Your hours will depend on the hiring agency and how big/popular it is and whether it operates in several countries to strengthen its reputation. But coordinating your time to meet with the students is not a problem at all. I say that while operating from a 7-hours time difference zone with Japan, there's usually enough motivation from both sides to make time to meet online. I imagine that the hours will be like working with Gaba since this is a 1-on-1 teaching scenario; so the better your student feedback and the more "encores" you get, the more hours you'll be working.

- Compensation issues; Again it's somewhat relative to the company's reputation, it's not like corruption is rampant there as it is in China; but teaching online can have many things go wrong because well... you're not "there" to sort it out. If you have your sights set on a particular agency, try to get some feedback from a foreign employee in it or research it for reviews from its former employees. Know what you're getting yourself into. Paypal payment is customary, just like all those friendly cam prozzies online.

- Additional considerations; Sure, but I can't be of much help here on account of my abundant experience. It's just like any other legal job where you ink a contract and get income-taxed for it in your own country and your employer gets the same in their country. Unless the agency has an office in your country I imagine that getting paperwork done will be more annoying than watching 3 minutes of Honey boo boo. You'll find out sooner than later that having a clue about your student's culture can go a long way in making your lessons run more smoothly, and that culture is more tricky to learn when you're not having in-person interaction.

gl

[Jezza]

I think one thing to take into consideration is whether it is a school you are working for or whether the organisation is simply a broker. There are online set ups where you post your profile, nominate lessons you can teach, state your teaching rate and availability etc. However, what ends up happening here is teachers end up under cutting each other to try and get students. You also need to offer free trial lessons in the hope that students will take lessons with you regularly. The problem with this is that there are some students who simply take all the free trial lessons when a new teacher signs up, but never make a full commitment to anyone.

I recommend working for a school where the teaching rate is fixed, and there is lesson material already organised (e.g. a set course book or their own material). Unfortunately, the time table is usually in the evenings or weekends (Japan time), so that may or may not fit your schedule. The other issue is that most online organisations have a free booking system - i.e. students are free to book lessons whenever they want with whoever they want, meaning your hours (and therefore your pay) varies. The only time I have seen where students fix a regular time slot with the teacher is with young learner lessons.

I think online teaching can be a good thing, but it is better suited where it supplements your regular income.