Teaching Online / Phone
 

Hi all,

I am just wondering if anybody here is teaching online or over the phone and what their experience of it is? After I finish this full time job working in a public school here in Korea I will start teaching some company classes and try to have more free time on my hands to study my masters.

I am looking into different ways of making money outside of the classroom and recently I did an online TEFL course which was very good. I had a tutor who was checking my work and emailed me some comments and gave some advice. It really appealed to me at the time so I thought that I might want to do a little of that on the side. However I haven't met anybody who has done this so if anybody can post some details and experience about teaching in this area, it would be interesting to see.

Many thanks,

-livinginkorea

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

Hi livinginkorea,
I'm thinking of doing the same and have been able to chat with some korean and chinese friends over the web through MS Messenger (video/audio) so that part's easy enough. That's the good thing about living in a country with almost universal broadband.
I've also seen a course book from a Korean language institute which does a 10 minute a day phone-in English lesson but using cassette tapes and not human teaching.That gave me some ideas, particularly for phone-in English where 10 minutes one-one is a lot of time.
The main problem as I see it is advertising. To advertise in the Korean Herald is about 300,000 for a week and all the other outlets I've seen are similar so unless you have a good supply of contacts to work from....
For me living in the far south and in the countryside I have basically only that way, as word of mouth advertising is possible but not particularly effective. I am however exploring other means but will need to vastly improve my Korean if I am to succeed.
Not much in the way of actual experience but thought you might like to know you are not the only one thinking along these lines.

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

Thanks very much for the reply. Let me know how you get on.

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

I'd like to do this, as well. Does anyone know if there are any online English books? Places to advertise?
Are there any websites that cater to this?

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

Probably the best way to advertise is make a website and start posting help in student forums. Then just post your link in the signature. If you give helpful and knowledgable advice students will click through to your website or blog. Then hopefully will continue on to set up some lessons.

you can post classified ads at several places eslteacherboard.com is probably your best shot. Dave's eslcafe.com student's forum is where I'd start giving help.

There are quite a few websites that offer these services. You should be able to sign up as a teacher and that will give you a good idea about what to do and how to go about it on your own -- while you get paid!

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

I found this today. I didn't really delve deep but it may help
http://www.tobyscafe.com/index.htm

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

Hi,
I have been wondering the same thing. Also you mentioned that you did an online TEFL course. What did you like about it? What did you not like about it? Would you refer it to me? I have been looking at a lot of them and can't decided which to take, if any. Or would it be better to take a course in person? Just would like another opinion, if you have some time.
Thanks.

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

I agree with MESMark. Probably the best (and easiest) place to advertise is to participate in discussions, give advice and help to people in the forum, and include a website or page in your signature. As you become an increasingly valuable member of the community, you can also directly plug your site from time to time.

You can also try advertising with Google Adsense. Or you could join a network in which students search for teachers to link up with for classes. With regards to the latter, there are several such services in Japan, so I'm going to assume there are similar ones in Korea, too.

Online classes don't really have limitations when compared to on-the-ground lessons, except for numbers. However, I believe that teachers charge a bit less, which may or may not work for you (depending on total travel time, I guess).

I hope some of this helps. Good luck.

Re: Teaching Online / Phone
 

Another place to post your online services free is SpokenSkills.com

I like that they let you add a voice clip and create a tutoring info page.

Also, I can't say enough good things about the free basics of advertising: blogger, craigslist and free vista print business cards. :lol: