Teach & Tell: Compare ESL Companies

I made this site for online English teachers who want to compare ESL companies.

Check out the comparison chart below or read the posts below to learn about different ESL employers.

You can compare ESL companies to find the right online English teaching job for you, or you can just start teaching right away on Cambly.

Or, if you want to skip the research and start teaching online and earning immediately, you can start by working for Cambly.

They are an easy and rewarding ESL company with one of the lowest barriers to entry for new teachers.

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Why teach English online?

ESL teachers are in high demand. The online English language learning market has substantial global worth and potential, so there is an incredible demand for online English teachers. English and the internet are growing together, and online ESL companies are expanding into India, Africa, and rural Asia.

You may have heard that there are too many online ESL teachers now. The reality is that the market is flooded with mediocre online teachers. Be great! No, not like Melania’s “be best,” which isn’t grammatically correct and a warning of the perils of poor English lessons.

Language is our Shared Future

If you speak English, you’re in good company: about 20% of the Earth’s population speaks English with you.

But most people learn English as a second language. It is our global language, a lingua franca needed for many jobs and travel.

Research has shown that exposure to more than one language during infancy can have positive effects on a child's cognitive development, including their ability to think abstractly, problem-solve, and multi-task.

Did you know many native English speakers don’t bother learning another language? Only about one in five Americans – 19% – think it is essential to speak a second language, even though the future of humanity is multi-cultural, intersectional, and global.

We use language across borders daily to argue, learn, negotiate, document, legislate, celebrate, and even love one another. Indeed, teaching English online is an in-demand job because language competency is one of the most important skills our modern world requires.

Learning a second language can make us more aware of the grammar and syntax of our own language, helping our brains "escape" and think outside of the box

More profoundly, we don’t know how language shapes our thoughts until we learn another. Without learning other languages, we can never truly understand our own language or our thinking’s limitations and possibilities.

The Perks

What does teaching online allow you to do?

Don’t believe the hype that online teachers can make more than classroom teachers because that’s not generally true. No matter which ESL companies you compare, they probably won’t pay you as much as a full-time salaried teaching position. But you might end up with more money at the end of the day.

What I mean is… online teaching lets you radically downsize your life and expenses (hello, FIRE movement), and you might take home more pay at the end of the day. One of the best parts of teaching online is the freedom to do a lot and go anywhere.

There are a lot of perks to breaking free from the classroom and teaching online, or we wouldn’t be doing it. Here are some of my favorite reasons for leaving the classroom for the laptop.

Travel the world.

I taught in the Swiss Alps. It was pretty tricky because Wifi wasn’t great at our Airbnb- but I did it. I taught from cars driving through Germany, too.

Work from home.

Perhaps you are disabled or want to spend more time with your children. Stay home and build your life the way you want to live it.

Ditch the 9-5 workday.

Finally, enjoy some flexibility. You can book classes when you want and even cancel when you want.

Be your own boss.

I’m sure you have horror stories about admin at your former schools. I know I do. If you don’t want to work for a school or an ESL company, you can freelance teach and tutor and build your own business.

Make friends around the world. Meet new people and learn about other cultures. I have met some fantastic people teaching online. My closest friend became a student from Saudi Arabia. I learned so much about Arab culture from him, which I would have never learned otherwise.

Learn about linguistics.

The best way to truly understand your own language is to teach it. Consider how our grammar patterns influence our thoughts and vice versa. I understand and appreciate languages much more now that I teach them to others.

Make a difference.

Support another person’s life progress. You’ll help students ace that IELTS test, get that dream job, or finally feel comfortable in their new country. I taught English for refugee resettlement agencies for years, but I felt the most connected to my students when I could teach them one on one online. I highly recommend tutoring refugees if you want to truly transform a life by sharing your language skills with others.

Have fun!

Exploring languages and cultures online is just plain fun, and teaching English allows you to share your joy with others.

My Experience as an Online English Teacher

I have taught English, art history, and studio art classes for over ten years for universities, public elementary schools, nonprofits, and private academies. For over five years, I have taught online and love it. Currently, I teach online for the Adult Learning Program at JPCC, along with teaching private students.

In addition, I am a painter and run an artist residency program. I am the founder and current director of The International Institute of Contemporary Art and Theory, an artist residency in Romania.

When I first began teaching online, I wished there was a site to compare ESL companies. So, I decided to make one. I want to share my professional experiences with you to give you tips to start or boost your English teaching career because teaching online has been a huge blessing in my life. I hope it can enrich your life, too.