Teaching English Online

When looking for a job you can try to find (and fight for) one or you can create your own. If you prefer to create your own, it’s incredibly beneficial to choose a teaching niche. This session will discuss with a panel of successful English teachers: the benefits of choosing a niche; how they stand out from the crowd in a competitive environment; and popular examples like selecting a familiar industry, providing high-stakes exam test prep, and teaching business English to adults.

English language teachers often use realia, or authentic materials, in the classroom to engage students visually and aid in the retention of vocabulary or grammar points. In this webinar, Bridge will also look at digital realia, including what it encompasses and how it differs from traditional realia. We’ll answer questions such as how teachers can determine which type of realia is better suited to their lesson or learners and how they can use digital realia most effectively, especially to introduce games in the online ESL classroom.

Teaching students online doesn’t have to be boring – in fact, virtual classes can be some of the most fun! Edtech tools allow for online teaching to be both unique and interactive so that students never forget a lesson. Join us to see how digital tools can enhance your lesson presentation, student practice, formative assessment, and communication. We’ll also demonstrate how to use some of the most popular online tools out there!

An experienced teacher shares top digital apps and platforms for effective online English lessons, including tools like Manycam, Off2Class, Liveworksheets, and Grammarly, plus tips for troubleshooting tech in the virtual classroom.

As more ESL teachers shift to online instruction, teaching for marketplaces and online language schools, and offering private tutoring services, many are branching out, starting their own online teaching businesses, or scaling and expanding already established private tutoring businesses. For teachers considering starting their own business or expanding a small online teaching business, an essential first step in the process is a critical shift from the employee mindset to the entrepreneurial mindset. Join Bridge and a panel of teacherpreneur experts as they discuss the characteristics of an entrepreneurial mindset, how they differ from an employee mindset, tips for making the shift, and the reasons this mindset is important for any teacherpreneur. Join us and launch your online teaching business with confidence!

Creating collaborative moments between groups online can often prove challenging for teachers. How can teachers successfully facilitate interaction, authentic communication, and collaboration in an environment where student interaction is limited to a screen? Join us for a live discussion of the importance of collaboration and the top strategies and tech tools that can help you foster teamwork in the virtual classroom.

You’ve made the move to teaching online – congrats! But now that you’re working remotely, you’ve realized that this lifestyle comes with certain challenges, like working in isolation and stress. Don’t let your mental health suffer!

Suffering from Zoom fatigue, or worse? Learn techniques to overcome the hidden challenges of teaching online from home and promote positive physical and mental health for you and your students.

Ready to leap to becoming a teacherpreneur? Ready to find students for your school or English course? Don’t be afraid of marketing! This session will give you an introductory overview of what you need to be thinking about and resources that you can use to make marketing manageable — rather than overwhelming you!

Whether teaching online or in-person, there are many benefits of integrating games and activities in the ESL classroom. Our panel of ELT experts will discuss strategies to maximize those benefits. Games are known to increase engagement in both children and adults, but there are many other benefits to consider. From introducing new concepts and reinforcing old ones to building 21st-century skills, the possibilities are endless. Join us to add new game ideas to your teacher toolkit and explore the full potential of integrating games and activities into ESL instruction.   

Since the implementation of strict government regulations in China beginning in July 2021, many teachers (especially in the US and Canada) have found online ELT no longer a lucrative job market. Teaching English online has become divided into two major camps: tutor marketplaces and language schools. Marketplaces seemingly provide little support but also little regulation and generally a lower commission than language schools, letting teachers set their own prices. Online language schools tend to provide more support in the form of lesson materials, customer support, and language assessments for students, but they may also require greater certifications, regular hours and/or mandatory teaching observations. School typically take a bigger commission for each class or pay teachers a standard hourly rate. Teachers must decide which works best for them: we’re here to help!

Today’s TEFL nomads aren’t just found in traditional classrooms worldwide but are leveraging their laptops to teach English from anywhere. Global colleagues share how teaching online can be your ticket to living abroad.

Online Teacher Marketplaces are quickly becoming a trendy method for online teachers to connect with students. As they become increasingly popular, how do you stand out to attract more students and increase your rate?

Join Bridge to understand the mechanisms behind how marketplaces suggest teachers for prospective students. We will cover strategies that the most successful marketplace teachers use to create noteworthy profiles and generate booming business!

Dreaming of being your own boss as a freelance English teacher – but clueless on how to make it happen? Successful independent teachers share strategies for attracting your ESL student clientele and building your brand and business in a crowded market.

Meet independent English teachers who are finding success through podcasts or as social media influencers, using sites like TikTok and Instagram to attract students or build their brand as teacherpreneurs. Watch this session to learn how teachers are taking to social media, becoming influencers, and rendefining online English teaching as we know it!

To get English students motivated and engaged, teachers need great content, and the “YouTube generation” is motivated by authentic video that tells a story. Digital Learning Associates, the winner of the ELTons award, looks at approaches to video in online lesson design.

The transition from teacher to language school owner is a common one. Learn first-hand from those that have gone that route. When did they decide to make the transition and why? What challenges did they face in transitioning from the classroom to business owner and manager?

Being an independent online English Teacher means you get to set your teaching schedule to meet your lifestyle! From the stay-at0home parent looking for part-time teaching opportunities to the intrepid traveler teaching and traveling as a digital nomad, today’s teachers are using independent teaching options to meet the needs of their own unique lifestyles. Learn how independent English teachers are freelance teaching for online schools, working on teacher marketplaces, and becoming their own bosses as teacherpreneurs to build the career they’ve always dreamed of!

Whether you teach online or in person, time spent preparing lessons could be time spent in a better place – with your students. The need for quality ESL/EFL lesson plans has inspired growth in the ready-made lesson plan industry. Today’s lesson plans come in multimedia formats, covering all skill levels and a range of topics. How can purchasing ready-made lesson plans save both independent teachers and school-based teachers’ time, creating space for potential income growth? What options are available for lesson plan formats and delivery methods? Are there customizability options? Join Bridge and a panel of representatives from some of today’s leading lesson plan providers for a discussion about the benefits of ready-made lesson plans, where to find high-quality lesson resources and much more.

Watch for free

Learn how to use games and activities with all your students, from very young learners to adults, to boost their engagement and confidence while developing target language and skills.

A diverse panel of ELT insiders representing various sectors, including higher education, private language instruction, and the language-learning marketplace, share their unique perspectives on the forecast for teaching English online in 2022.

Ready to launch your own profitable online English school or scale your current school? Off2Class CEO shares the key elements your English teaching business needs to have to thrive in today’s exploding online market.

With so many opportunities to teach English independently online, many teachers are looking for eLearning platforms to host their classes and manage admin tasks like scheduling and invoices. Join our panel of experts as they discuss how learning platforms have evolved and the criteria to consider when choosing a platform. Gain the knowledge you need to find the right platform for you and your students!

Watch for free

Go behind the scenes with Bridge course developers as they dive into the specific technologies and best practices in eLearning and instructional design that ensure students get the most out of their educational experience.

Whether you’re interested in becoming (or already) an independent English teacher or teaching through a tutor marketplace, using digital tools and apps will make your life easier and more enjoyable. What types of digital tools do you need? What are the preferred tools of current digital nomad teachers? We’ll discuss everything from choosing tools for scheduling classes, accepting payments and preparing lessons to websites to download pre-made lesson plans.

Mixing hip-hop and other performing arts into your online classroom brings the human element front and center, making technology come alive for English language learners!

Do you have an idea for a product or service for English teachers, learners, or the broader ELT sector? Real teacherpreneurs share how they successfully transitioned from teaching English to designing and delivering EdTech tools and educational products.

Find out how Bridge-certified teachers are making a living teaching English online and how their training, the network they built, and their field of specialization helped them along the way.

Are you getting overwhelmed by all the apps and tools you need to run your independent online English teaching business? Wondering how you can bring your language school online so you can reach new students (and enhance the experience of current students)? Using an all-in-one platform can help. This session will cover the benefits of using an all-in-one platform and an overview presentation by representatives of leading platforms.