Everything You Need to Know About Teaching English to Adults vs. Kids

When you think of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in person or online, do you picture yourself in front of a class of children, adults, or a mix of both? Your preferred age group should factor into your choice of teaching location if you plan to teach abroad, and it also matters for teaching English online. This overview of teaching English to adults vs. kids covers these considerations, including the type of students you’ll teach, where you’ll teach, and the teaching environment that suits you best.

If you’re new to teaching, you’ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started.

What are the benefits of teaching English to adults?

If you’ve already considered teaching English to adults and kids but realized that teaching kids is not for you, don’t worry. Plenty of TEFL/TESOL positions, both in-person and online, focus only on adult students.

Adult students are often professionals interested in boosting their language skills for the workplace. Teaching this kind of English is commonly called Business English. Still, adult students can come from all walks of life, including college students, homemakers, or retirees.

Adult classes are also often run in the evenings or early mornings, scheduled around students’ workdays. Adjusting to that schedule is part of teaching this age group well.

Some advantages to teaching adults are:

• You’ll spend less time on discipline and class management and more time on learning.
• Adult students come from various professions, industries, and educational backgrounds, providing interesting topics for class discussions.
• EFL teachers can sometimes befriend students, creating more opportunities for cross-cultural or language exchange.

Where can you teach English to adults?

If you plan to teach abroad in the future, start planning and researching now. If you prefer teaching adult students, know that TEFL/TESOL jobs in Central and South America usually involve working at language institutes that cater to adult students rather than kids. Some popular countries for English teachers in this region include Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia.

Teachers also commonly teach adults in Middle Eastern countries, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. In this region, jobs typically appear at colleges, technical schools, and universities, in addition to the more typical language institute setting.

Language institute jobs in these regions typically mean small group classes focused on conversation and workplace skills, rather than large lecture-style courses. That structure suits teachers who prefer working with the same group over months rather than switching classes frequently.

Thinking about teaching abroad as a digital nomad? Take a look at the best destinations to start your global career.

How can you teach English to adults online?

Work with a company

Although most online TEFL/TESOL jobs involve teaching English to kids, you can also find opportunities to teach adults English online. For example, companies like italki and Preply are popular online tutoring sites where you set your own rates and hours for teaching English. Other sites, like Cambly and EF English First, offer a fixed rate per class taught.

Learn more about where to teach English to adults online – no puppets required!

Become an independent online English teacher

Anyone interested in teaching English online exclusively to adults can become an independent online English teacher. As an independent teacher, you can target the student demographic you prefer, choose your teaching style and platform, and set your own hourly rate.

Choosing between a company platform and going independent often depends on how much you want to build yourself. English-teaching company platforms supply students consistently and pay a fixed rate, while independent English teaching takes more upfront work to attract clients but gives you full control over your schedule and pricing.

Learn more about the Bridge Teacherpreneur Academy, which was created to help ESL teachers go independent and work with their preferred age groups.

What qualifications do you need to teach English to adults?

Regardless of whether you plan to teach online or in the classroom, most teaching jobs with adults will require general TEFL/TESOL certification of at least 120 hours, like Bridge’s 120-Hour Master TEFL Certificate, and some positions may also require a bachelor’s degree and/or teaching experience.

If you don’t have teaching experience, don’t worry. Many positions teaching English to adults can draw on other skills you’ve gained in your professional career, such as knowledge of business or another specialized field. This specialized knowledge may even allow you to carve out an ESL teaching niche related to your background, such as teaching business English or other specific purposes.

In the classroom

Earning a Bridge Specialized Certificate in Teaching Business English is one of the best ways to get a job teaching English to adults. It shows employers that you have specific training in this area. If you’re planning to teach business English, some background in business or in your specific teaching field also helps, such as English for medical professionals or marketing specialists. To achieve this, consider taking online courses to expose yourself to specific workplace language. You can even audit business courses for free on sites like Coursera.

Online

If you’re wondering how to teach English to adults and planning to teach virtually, you can earn a Bridge Specialized Certificate in Teaching English Online to demonstrate a high level of competency in the area.

The majority of jobs hiring for online positions will conduct online job interviews over Zoom or Teams, and expect you to teach a trial class. For both interviews and trial classes, boost your chances of getting hired, especially for kids classes, by making sure you have a professional teaching background (a clean space with a whiteboard, some related English posters or materials, etc.), a quiet space, the appropriate equipment (webcam, headset, etc.), and a strong Internet connection.

Combining both specializations, business English and teaching English online, widens the range of adult teaching jobs open to you. Employers reviewing applications for adult programs look for proof that you understand the specific classroom or platform you’ll be working in, not just a general certification.

What do teachers say about teaching English to adults?

Jorge, in Chile

“I want to develop my career by teaching based on andragogy principles. From my personal and professional perspective, teaching adults is vital because our children are always learning from us, not only from our verbal and cognitive assignments and classes but also by our actions and behavior.”

Andragogy, the study of how adults learn differently from children, is worth exploring further for teachers drawn to Jorge’s approach. Understanding those differences, when compared to pedagogy, shapes lesson pacing, feedback style, and how much autonomy you give students in class.

What are the benefits of teaching English to kids?

Some people worry that teaching kids or teens will be too challenging, but working with young students actually offers many advantages. Teaching English to kids is rewarding, and it suits teachers with plenty of energy and passion. It also requires a great deal of patience, but it’s a lot of fun and leads to a lively, engaging career.

Teaching English to kids offers several benefits, including:

• Kids, especially elementary-aged students, bring unbridled enthusiasm to learning and are always ready to jump in and play any fun English games you present to them.
• Young learners tend to lack the hang-ups of adults, so they are not as shy about pronouncing new words or afraid of looking silly in front of the class.
• Young learners and teens show substantial progress in their English level because they absorb so much so quickly.

Working with kids also means occasional contact with parents, whether through progress updates, parent-teacher conferences, or simply a wave at pickup. Building that relationship alongside the one with your students is part of the job in a way that teaching adults is not.

Where can you teach English to kids and teens?

Asia

Asia is the main region for teaching jobs involving children and teens, particularly in countries such as South Korea and Thailand. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme is a historically popular program that places qualified teachers in positions in schools throughout the country.

Europe

TEFL/TESOL jobs can involve teaching kids in certain countries in Europe, as well. Government programs such as the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) and the NALCAP in Spain sponsor English teachers from North America to teach various grades in K-12 public schools.

Government-sponsored programs like JET, TAPIF, and the NALCAP tend to run on fixed annual application cycles, unlike most private language institutes that hire on a rolling basis. Researching each program’s timeline well in advance improves your chances of getting a position.

How can you teach English to kids online?

Demand for teaching English to kids online has never been stronger, especially for younger learners in Asian countries like China. These online TEFL/TESOL jobs usually entail becoming familiar with a company’s teaching software and teaching pre-made lessons with built-in videos, ESL songs, interactive games, drawing tools, and other dynamic digital features. Some companies require you to teach set hours each week, while others are more flexible and let you choose your own hours on a weekly or monthly basis.

You can teach English to kids online with companies that are among Bridge’s Recommended Employers or with other leading companies in the industry.

Do your research before choosing which company to apply to, as each has a slightly different pay rate, vacation limit, and company policy. Also, keep in mind that most of these online jobs are based in Asia, so you’ll probably teach very early or very late because of the time difference.

Success in this format often depends on on-screen energy. Exaggerated gestures, quick pacing, and frequent rewards keep young students engaged through a screen in ways that work less well in a physical classroom.

Learn about demo lessons and get ahead in your job interview.

What qualifications do you need to teach English to children?

When teaching English to children, you’ll need certification, since almost all jobs (both in-person and online) require a TEFL/TESOL certification of 120 hours or more. Targeted training tailored to your students also helps, such as Specialized Certification in Teaching English to Young Learners and Teenagers or Specialized Certification in Teaching English Online.

Many schools and platforms hiring for children’s classes also require a background check, since the role involves working with minors. Starting that process early avoids delays once you’ve accepted a job offer, since processing times vary by country.

What do teachers say about teaching kids English?

Kimmy, in Hungary

“I taught at an international kindergarten – it was a blast! It was a summer camp, so each week, we had a different theme. One week, we learned about cooking; we cooked all sorts of different foods at the school, and at the end of the week, we all got to go to a sushi restaurant. My students were 5-6 years old, and they were fascinated by the sushi restaurant. That summer, I grew so close to the summer camp students because we got to learn and discover new things together. They were wonderful students, and I loved teaching them!”

Theme-based weeks, as the cooking unit Kimmy describes, are a common structure in young learner classrooms because they let vocabulary, activities, and cultural content reinforce each other across several days rather than resetting with each new lesson.

Need help teaching vocabulary in class? Check these methods for introducing new words!

Where can you teach English to all ages?

Splitting your teaching time across age groups also spreads your income across more than one source. If one contract ends or a company reduces hours, your other classes continue, so you are not left without income while you search for a replacement. The same skill matters most wherever you teach a mix of ages: adapting one lesson plan for different levels, rather than teaching from a fixed script.

Online

Online TEFL/TESOL jobs offer a great way to teach both adults and children. You can easily teach for multiple companies and allocate your time accordingly. Also, most jobs teaching English to children online are based in Asia and often mean teaching very early or late hours in your time zone. That leaves you free to dedicate daytime and afternoon hours to teaching adults based in Europe or the Americas online.

Alternatively, you could work for a company that has both young learners and adult students.

Europe

In Europe, you can easily find positions that involve teaching both young learners and adults. Countries such as Italy, Spain, and Germany have a high demand for teachers who are willing and able to teach all student ages.

Asia

Other regions where you can teach English to adults and children/teens include Asia (particularly in Japan and Indonesia).

Africa

Looking for something a little different? In North African countries such as Morocco, you’ll often teach a mix of young children, teenagers preparing for college entrance exams, and adult professionals.

What qualifications do you need to teach both kids and adults?

If you want to teach English to both kids and adults, you’ll need to show employers that you’re adaptable. You can do this by earning specialized certificates that showcase your advanced knowledge of teaching English to different ages. If you’re not teaching online, make sure you apply for TEFL/TESOL jobs in regions with both young and adult English learners.

Meredith, in Japan

“The adult students are usually very open to talking about themselves, and the classroom provides an opportunity for both learning English and engaging in conversation about each other’s cultures. The kids I teach are very funny and energetic; they are always eager to use what English they do know and talk with me during and outside of class!“

Meredith’s routine, splitting her week between adult and young learners’ classes, reflects a common pattern among teachers who hold both specializations. Interviewers respond well to that kind of specific detail: being able to describe lesson plans for a group of eight-year-olds and also for a group of executives counts a lot in an interview.

How can you get a TEFL/TESOL job teaching kids or adults?

To find a job, take advantage of tools like the Bridge Job Board. It lists reputable schools and online companies that are currently hiring across both young learner and adult programs. Checking each listing for the target age group and location narrows the search quickly, so you can focus your time on positions that actually fit.

Teachers rarely have to choose between adults and kids forever. Many shift between age groups over the course of a TEFL/TESOL career, adding a specialized certification as their interests or circumstances change. The right certification, matched to your preferred classroom environment, leads to a stronger position, whether that means one age group or the flexibility to teach both.

Are you ready to take the next step in your career? Take a look at Bridge’s 240-Hour TEFL/TESOL Certification Bundle and build all the foundations and requirements you need to teach globally – both online and in person.