{"id":19653,"date":"2022-07-12T08:28:26","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T14:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/?p=19653"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:34:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T18:34:16","slug":"tonia-from-the-us-teaching-english-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/tonia-from-the-us-teaching-english-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Tonia, From the U.S., Teaching English Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Teaching from the comfort of her home has been the biggest perk for Bridge grad Tonia Herrera, from the U.S., ever since she set off as an online English teacher. While working with online ESL companies, teaching young learners<\/a> has become her TEFL niche<\/a>. She shares how she prepared herself for the TEFL field, the opportunities that have opened up for her since, and her top tips for engaging young English learners during class.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

I live in the sunny southern state of Florida. I was born in the U.S. and English is my native language, but when I was a teen, I learned Spanish and later traveled to South America, where I had to put my Spanish skills to use. This has helped me empathize with language learners. Many of my friends are bilingual, and my husband and kids are also bilingual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I first went to school to study nursing but later decided to pursue studies in technical education, which prepares you for a career in technical schools and being a corporate trainer. Before teaching, I was a medical office assistant. But after having children, I worked as a nanny and was a stay-at-home mother for a few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What inspired you to become an English teacher?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, being a mom, I was looking for something that I could do from home. I heard of all the companies that offered jobs teaching children online and thought this is what I would love to do, but first I needed to obtain my TEFL certificate<\/a>, and most companies required you to at least be doing undergraduate studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tonia teaching English from home<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How long and where have you taught English?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have been teaching English online<\/a> for two years this October. So far, I\u2019ve taught online for Cambly, Cambly Kids, and Magic Ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you land your online ESL teaching jobs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Cambly Kids, it is very easy, but you do have to have special skills to work with children. I always felt that my Bridge online TEFL course<\/a> prepared me very well for this. Cambly Kids requires a demo lesson<\/a> and a resume<\/a>. Although Cambly itself doesn\u2019t require a TEFL\/TESOL certificate, it helps tremendously to obtain one if you plan on teaching English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, I applied to a popular Chinese company and got accepted after the first interview! I was able to put into practice all of the skills I learned. The Chinese platform was more difficult to get accepted to and required a background check, an interview with a live person, and a practice class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about the typical hiring process for online teaching jobs.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us more about your in-person teaching job?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I work as a substitute teacher in our local school district. I teach elementary students, from preschool to fifth grade. I also help in special needs and special area classes. When I\u2019m not working, I love gardening and beach days with the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your top tips for teaching English to kids?<\/h2>\n\n\n