Looking for an affordable way to get your TEFL certification?
Are you looking for a flexible online job that allows you to travel the world?
Or are you just happy to make some money with a side hustle?
In this post, I will tell you how you can do all of that, and get certified as a TEFL teacher for only $40.
In this post
- Why become an online teacher
- How to become an online teacher
- Why to get certified
- How to get your certificate for $40
Teaching English online is a great way to do either of these things.
Teaching online allows you to set your own hours (so you can sleep in as long as you’d like) and make money wherever there is a decent internet connection.
Teaching languages online seems like the perfect job for many language enthusiasts, so I wanted to write an article that would tell you a little bit more about this unique opportunity.
There are many reasons why teaching online can be the ideal job for you, whether it is because you want to make some extra bucks or you are looking for a way to finance your international lifestyle.
Here is why teaching online is awesome
You can teach anywhere
Maybe you have your mind set on an idyllic beach on the other side of the planet, or maybe you like to be able to go work without having to put on pants.
Either way, teaching languages online allows you to bring in the money from literally any place with an internet connection.
Simply make sure you have a decent webcam and decent audio quality and a good wifi connection, and the world is your oyster.
Oh, this also means there is absolutely no commute time. You work the hours you work, and the rest you can spend doing whatever you feel like.
You are able to set your own hours
Most websites work with a schedule where you can simply fill in your available hours, and students can book with you within those possibilities. This means you can adjust your working schedule to your own preferred hours.
Not much of a morning person? Sleep in and start working somewhere in the afternoon.
Prefer to have Monday off? Sure, why not?
You decide what teaching hours work best for you.
Simply put, you can work anyplace, anywhere, anytime.
You can set your own rates
This won’t be the case right from the start. Like any job, you have to settle in before you can demand the big bucks. But most sites allow you to set your own rates, so as you get more proficient in your teaching and more students leave positive reviews confirming what a great teacher you are, you can adjust your rates accordingly.
You can set your rates higher, maybe earning a little less overall but also making less hours, or work more hours while charging a little less and earning more on a monthly basis.
It’s up to you.
Teaching English in a school
Maybe you aren’t planning on teaching online, but prefer a steady job in one place. You may have less physical flexibility (and may actually need to put on pants for work), but for a language lover such as yourself (I am just assuming here), this is still a great option job wise.
Internationally there are many opportunities, but even within your country there may be places where people are looking to learn English as a foreign language.
When you are planning to teach in a school, you will most definitely need more credentials than those who teach online. Having TEFL certification may be extra important for you.
Why should I get certified?
TEFL certification will add credibility to you as a teacher. It shows that you not only know how to speak English but also how to teach it.
The TEFL certificate has become such a known standard for foreign language teachers that any place you will apply to will take it as a
It’s not just about the piece of paper – getting certified means actually taking a course and learning how to teach English as a foreign language.
You may be fluent in English, but that doesn’t mean you will be a great teacher.
If you are a native speaker your knowledge will mostly be implicit – meaning that you will most likely speak correctly without actually knowing why.
To teach English, you need a deeper understanding of why things are the way they are.
Getting your certificate will help you with this.
Some of the courses help you to find a job afterward, which is even better. All in all, it’s hard to go wrong with a TEFL certification.
Getting TEFL certification for cheap
This certificate can easily set you back a couple of hundred dollars, which means your plan to make money requires some investment up front.
This may not be a feasible investment for everybody.
Luckily, there is a way to get your certificate and start teaching online without having to make a major investment before.
On American Groupon you can find tons of TEFL courses that include a certificate, plus help in finding a job that are only $39.
In hours of teaching, you can earn easily earn this back in 2 – 4 hours, depending on what and where you teach.
For this, you do need an account on the American Groupon. This really is only a matter of creating a new account, and the fact that you don’t have an American address doesn’t really matter.
Your name and email address are enough to get access.
If that isn’t enough, you can always create a fake address on Mainstreet someplace. Whenever I have to fill in an American zip code anywhere, I always use 90210.
You can outsmart the payment system by paying with a PayPal account.
Your PayPal account can either have money on it already, or you can hook it up to your credit card or bank account. Either way, just using your PayPal login is enough to pay.
Before purchasing any course I would try and look at all the reviews on Groupon whether it is legit or not.
The courses changes frequently and there are multiple people offering, so it is hard to say something about the quality of all of them as I have obviously not checked every single new posting.
However, the course I attended was excellent and helped me a great deal with landing a new job as an online teacher. Groupon generally offers legit deals, so I wouldn’t be too worried generally, but just to be sure it’s great to see reviews on the exact course you are about to take.
Click here to find the current offers of TEFL certification courses on American Groupon
And that’s it. I hope this tip has helped you in your goal of becoming a foreign language teacher, even if you don’t have the budget for an extensive course at the moment.