{"id":15346,"date":"2021-08-31T13:53:13","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T19:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/?p=15346"},"modified":"2026-02-06T19:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T02:19:15","slug":"jonathan-from-trinidad-and-tobago-teaching-business-english-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/jonathan-from-trinidad-and-tobago-teaching-business-english-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan, From Trinidad and Tobago, Teaching Business English Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Since giving online English teaching a shot four years ago, Bridge grad Jonathan Borde, from Trinidad and Tobago, has enjoyed the perks of being location-independent and meeting students from other cultures. As an italki English tutor, he specializes in teaching business English<\/a>. He gives us a picture of what it\u2019s like to give ESL classes to professionals and shares tips on how to teach in this niche more effectively.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi, Jonathan! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My name is Jonathan. I’m 35 years old. I live in Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean country close to Venezuela. Actually, from some of our beach points, you can see Venezuela, which is nice. And for the last four years, I’ve been teaching English online<\/a> with italki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Trinidad
A beautiful sunrise covered in clouds over an ocean in the north of Trinidad and Tobago<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did you get into online English teaching?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was 2016 and I had just finished a work contract. I went to Guyana for a bit and a friend of mine said, \u201cWhy don’t you try online teaching?\u201d I asked, \u201cWhat’s that?” I had never heard about online English teaching. And then I started to research, which led me to Bridge and to where I am now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re new to teaching, you\u2019ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate<\/a>. You can explore our online TEFL courses<\/a> to get started!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you land your online teaching job with italki<\/a>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I first got my Bridge certification in 2016. Then, I interviewed with a number of companies and I was accepted with italki. It wasn’t that hard of an interview process. They just asked some very basic questions, and I was able to start as a professional teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two types of tutors on italki:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Professional teachers<\/strong> are those who have a teaching certification like the one Jonathan got from Bridge. Often specialized, these teachers work with students on a number of subjects, including business English, conversation practice<\/a>, test prep<\/a>, and lessons for young learners<\/a>. Professional teachers are paid more than community tutors on italki.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Community tutors<\/strong> are people who are passionate about helping language students but they may not have any teaching certification. These tutors tend to work on general conversation practice with students.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What do you like best about teaching English online?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There are a lot of things I like, but I love the convenience. If need be, I can carry my office and my laptop. I have all my resources here, which are easy to share with the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I can meet people from Russia, China, India, America, Africa \u2014 all over the world! So, it’s really lovely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are 9 reasons to become an online English teacher.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Trinidad
    A flock of Scarlet Ibis, the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago, as seen in the Caroni Bird Sanctuary (taken from Viator.com)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Who are your students?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I teach adults who need help with business English<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n