Teach a Language Online: What You Need to Know

Do you speak more than one language? Or are you particularly skilled in your native language? You could make money creating a video course to teach a language online. There are millions of people who want to learn a language, but not everyone finds success using apps such as Duolingo or Drops. This means you could become the go-to source for people going on vacation and who want to know the most useful phrases in the country to which you’re headed. Or you might offer a more in-depth course designed for people moving permanently to another country.

This short guide will give you an overview of what you need to know in order to teach a language online and make money.

What You Need to Teach a Language Online

Research is the key to success when creating any online course. You want to find out how many others are offering your chosen language and the prices they’re charging. It’s also worth considering what niche they’re covering. For example, if there are dozens of “Advanced French” courses, you could stand out by offering a “Beginner’s French” course.

Here are a few more essentials to consider.

A Great Internet Connection

If you’re going to teach online, you need a good internet connection. You more than likely won’t teach everything over a live connection. Most video course platforms tend to host the videos via their own servers. However, you will get frustrated if your connection shuts down every time you want to upload an update to your course.

Also, it’s worth considering how you will liaise with students, if necessary. Consider a VoIP platform like Zoom, Teams, or Google-powered alternatives. You might use these for initial sign-up or one-to-one support, which many students may need. Ensure you know how to use at least one of these services and test it before launching your course.

A Great Grasp of Your Chosen Language

Whether you’ve decided to teach your native language or another that you’re proficient in, you must be able to demonstrate a complete grasp of the language. Even if you offer a beginner’s course, students must be able to trust that you have the knowledge and skills to support them. Remember, many students are keen and will learn from several sources. Make sure you’re not put in a position where you’re assessing students who know more of the language than you do.

A Relevant Qualification

One way to ensure you’ve got the skills you need to teach a language online is to take a relevant course and gain accreditation. There are numerous accredited providers of language courses, many of which also provide online learning.

Some examples include:

• TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
• TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages)
• Spirit Cultural Exchange (for international teachers wanting to work in the United States)
• Campus France from Alliance Française

By sharing any qualifications you have in your chosen language or for teaching, you can gain greater traction for your video course.

The Confidence and Patience to Teach a Language Online

Teaching a language requires patience and compassion. Some students are starting from scratch, while others have some experience with the language. Make sure your course materials state clearly who they’re aimed at to avoid disappointment and frustration. If you plan to interact with your students face-to-face, be sure to prepare for a range of abilities and languages among these individuals.

You must also speak clearly and ensure every video is structured and logical. As a teacher, it’s your job to be the confident master of the topic. This fills your students with trust and encourages them to complete the course — and hopefully take another.

A Platform Where Students Can Access Course Materials

In the past, online courses were conducted by sending emails back and forth. Today, that’s not really sustainable, especially if you have students who want to learn at their own pace. They need a platform where they can log in, access content, and learn as much or as little in one sitting as they like.

The best online video course platforms like BlurBay allow users to upload videos and courses for free. The platform then takes a small commission when a course is sold. It’s so much easier to manage your budget like this because you don’t pay anything until you start gaining students.

Benefits of Learning to Teach a Language Online

Why do so many people choose to teach a language online? Let’s take a look.

Teach a Language Online and Make Money

The first primary benefit of learning to teach a language online is the opportunity to make money. Every course you create will require a fee, and the more students you gain, the more that fee is paid to you. The lifetime value of a course increases all the time. You only have to record and edit videos once, and those videos will keep attracting more income.

Just remember to be open to student feedback. If a video is unclear or has technical issues, get this fixed as soon as possible. The more receptive to feedback you are, the better your online student reviews will be. And the more students you will attract thanks to these positive comments.

English tutors (teaching English as a foreign language) earn up to $25 an hour. Determine the running time of your course in total and price it accordingly. And remember, you’ll get that fee over and over, as long as you keep attracting more students.

Reach More Students

Qualified teachers can, of course, set up a regular, physical class for students to learn. However, these facilities have several downsides:

• Students have to attend at a specific time and place which may be inaccessible for some.
• Students have to work at your pace.
• You can only have as many students as the class has space for.
• You have to deal with all student queries in a very short period before the next class.
• You have to be physically present at every class.

Conversely, if you offer a video-based online language course, students can study whenever they like and entirely at their own pace. You never have to attend classes — you just have to ensure that the videos you produce are high-quality and educational. Plus, you can set up Q&A sessions or feedback slots at your leisure. Overall, online learning tends to be a better experience for everyone, and much more accessible for those who struggle to attend in person.

Improve Your Own Skills

By teaching others, you can actually improve your own skills and knowledge. While you learn how to structure this language course, you’re also learning about becoming an educator. Make sure you document everything you learn as you go along this journey. This has the dual impact of making replicating the content easier, for example, if you decide to create another course in the future. But also, the skills you learn and record will stay with you and help you grow as a person.

You may use these skills in other aspects of your career, or become a full-time online course instructor. Once you’ve created one course, you’ll find it easier every time you want to create a follow-up course or a course on a completely different topic. You might branch out from languages into courses on culture, diversity, or even career-specific topics.

As an online course provider, you’ll organically get better at the language you’re teaching. In the future, you could use your improved language skills to land a job working for a multinational company here in the U.S. Alternatively, you may decide to move overseas to a country where your language skills will be needed, or even just go on your dream vacation without needing a translation app.

Promote Your Business

If you have another online business, you can use your online language courses to promote it and vice versa. For example, as a benefit to students who sign up for your language course, you could give them a 10% discount on your other products. Alternatively, you could offer discounts on future courses to regular customers. You may even have a travel-based business, which could permit you to offer language courses as part of your product portfolio.

Treat your online courses as marketing materials for yourself, for other courses, or for your business as a whole. And don’t forget to utilize any online social media platforms you have to promote your courses and attract as many students as possible. Share courses in travel groups or student groups, or even distribute flyers at your local college. There are so many people who want to learn a foreign language and many marketing avenues for savvy course creators.

Teach a Language Online: Get Started Today

You don’t need to wait to start planning your course. It’s easy to teach a language online and make money by following the above tips, especially if you have access to an online video course platform. Make sure you assess the suitability of the platform before you commit. You shouldn’t have to pay exorbitant upfront fees, and the commissions should be fair. Read user reviews, and make sure any platform you choose accepts student payments in a range of ways, e.g., Apple Pay and Google Pay as well as credit/debit card payments.

Are you ready to become an online language teacher? It could be easier to get started than you realize.