Start by choosing who you’ll teach and checking the platform’s requirements. Then prepare a simple lesson, test your setup and practice getting the learner talking.
Need training first? Our TEFL courses start at $27 and include a full online teaching unit.
Clear tasks and useful feedback matter as much as your camera setup.
The route affects who finds your students, who supplies the materials and how much planning you’ll do. Check the terms before you apply or set a rate.
A company may supply students, lesson materials and a teaching platform. Ask whether you’ll follow its curriculum, commit to fixed hours or teach specific age groups.
Check: eligibility, paid teaching time, cancellations, materials and minimum availability.
You’ll present your experience, choose a teaching focus and compete for bookings. Check whether you set your rate and provide your own lessons.
Check: commission, trial lessons, payment timing, profile approval and booking rules.
You’ll arrange lessons directly and handle planning, scheduling and payments. Start with a learner group you can serve well, rather than promising every kind of English lesson.
Check: payment terms, cancellations, data privacy and any local business requirements.
These are working models, not guaranteed vacancies. For places to search, use our TEFL jobs directory.
There isn’t one entry rule for every platform. A degree, TEFL certificate, teaching experience and English proficiency are separate requirements. Your location and weekly availability can matter too.
A TEFL course helps you learn how to teach. It doesn’t replace a degree, work eligibility or experience when a role specifically requires them.
Understand our course accreditation ↗Cambly says a teaching certificate isn’t needed. Its application guidance requires native English and a minimum age of 18.
Cambly tutor information ↗Cambly eligibility guidance ↗Preply says no specific certification or teaching experience is required to apply. That doesn’t mean every application will be approved or that students will book lessons.
Preply tutor information ↗Official pages checked October 17, 2026. Recheck the full current criteria before applying. These examples aren’t endorsements, hiring promises or claims of a partnership with IntrepidTEFL.
Adult beginner · One-to-one · Ordering a drink. By the end, the learner should be able to use “Can I have …, please?” to order from a short menu. Adjust the pace to their response.
You’ll need a three-item menu and a place to display or type the request. This original guide example shows how a lesson can move from a model to learner use. It isn’t an extract from the paid course or a full teaching qualification.
What you’ll do: Show a simple menu: tea $2, coffee $3, water $1. Ask what the learner usually drinks and find out which menu words they already know.
Online adjustment: Let the learner point, type or speak. Use their response to decide how much support they’ll need.
What you’ll do: Model: “Can I have a coffee, please?” and “Here you are.” Use the menu to make the meaning clear. Say the exchange naturally, then let the learner try.
Online adjustment: Keep the model visible in the chat or on one slide. Don’t cover the screen with a full script.
What you’ll do: Keep the request frame on screen. Change the drink and let the learner complete the request. Give a short model again if they need it.
Online adjustment: Share one window, not your whole desktop. Check the learner can see the menu before you start.
What you’ll do: You’re the server. The learner orders a drink, then asks for a different item. Switch roles when they’re ready. Offer the phrase prompt only if needed.
Online adjustment: Give the learner time to respond. If they pause, point to a choice before answering for them.
What you’ll do: Hide the request frame but leave the menu visible. Ask the learner to order a new item. Give one specific piece of feedback and agree what to practice next.
Online adjustment: Ask for a new request instead of only asking “Do you understand?” Note whether they can do it without the model.
Why ask the learner to do something? The British Council’s TeachingEnglish guidance explains that a “yes” to “Do you understand?” doesn’t show understanding. A short task or concept question gives you something you can check. Read the concept-checking guidance ↗
A useful backup preserves the task while reducing the technical or language difficulty. Open a problem to see a practical response.
Try our real free course lesson ↗Check what they can see before repeating your explanation. Stop sharing, send the three menu items in the chat and continue the same ordering task. If the platform has its own technical procedure, follow that.
Bring back the sentence frame and offer two drink choices. Model one request, then ask them to order the other item. Reduce the support gradually and check a fresh example before moving on.
Pause your explanation and give them a small choice: “Tea or coffee?” Move from that choice to a short request. Keep your next instruction short and allow time for a response.
Keep the same language goal and change the choice. Let them be the server, or use a second short menu. Add a challenge only if they’re handling the original task confidently.
Use a computer that meets your chosen platform’s requirements. Test audio, video and sharing together in the room and at the time you expect to teach.
You don’t need to buy a roomful of equipment before checking what the platform requires. Start with reliable sound, a usable picture and materials the learner can read.
A clear voice beats a busy background.Tick each item after you’ve tested it. This checklist stays on this page only.
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Read the platform’s instructions first. Then make your introduction specific to the learners you want to teach and the experience you actually have.
Say who you’d like to teach and what you can help them practice. Give an honest account of your training and experience. Follow the requested video length and format.
If a demo is requested, rehearse giving one instruction, modeling a task and checking a response. Use the employer’s brief when it provides one.
Confirm how bookings, preparation, cancellations and payment work. Compare the time you’ll actually spend with the paid teaching time offered.
Browse teaching platforms and job boards ↗ · No platform listing guarantees an opening or acceptance.
Our 120-hour course covers core TEFL methodology, grammar, lesson planning, skills teaching and classroom management, plus dedicated online teaching training.
You’ll explore online interaction, pacing, platform tools, checking learning and backup planning. The 150-hour route adds deeper child, very young learner and adult teaching content.
Explore the full 120-hour curriculum ↗Premium includes more videos of teachers teaching lessons, more scenarios with tutor-written feedback, practical tasks, tutor support and 24 months of access.
The job support bundle includes CV-making help, interview tips and a TEFL travel guide. Digital QR certification and a downloadable content review are included.
Course Enroll · $39 ↗Prefer the lowest price? 120-hour Standard is $27, with selected videos, support and 6 months of access. All prices are one-time USD.
Compare all four course options ↗Some platforms don’t require a degree, while other roles do. Check the current requirements for the exact platform and role, including English proficiency, age, location and experience. A TEFL certificate doesn’t replace a degree requirement.
No. Some platforms let people apply without a teaching certificate. Training can still help you plan lessons, explain language and check learning. If a role asks for a qualification, confirm its specific requirements before enrolling.
Some platforms accept applications from people without teaching experience. You’ll still need to meet their other criteria and show you can communicate clearly. Rehearse a small lesson and learn from feedback; neither an application nor a certificate guarantees bookings.
Check the platform’s location and payment restrictions, time-zone needs and the rules that apply where you’ll work. Don’t assume a remote teaching role allows work from every country.
Both the 120-hour and 150-hour routes include the full online teaching unit. The 150-hour route adds more depth in teaching children, very young learners and adults. You can choose Standard or Premium at either length.
Standard includes technical support and 6 months of access. Premium includes tutor support and 24 months, extra teaching videos, practical tasks, scenarios with tutor-written feedback and the job bundle. Prepared scenario feedback isn’t a promise that every task is individually marked.
See the real course layout and activities, or explore the curriculum if you’re ready to study.
Course Enroll opens 120-hour Premium at $39. You can choose any of the four options before continuing.