Read the notes, then try the practice. It adapts as you go.When you're ready.
Session Length
~17 min
Adaptive Checks
15 questions
Transfer Probes
8
Teaching English online is the practice of delivering English language instruction through digital platforms to learners around the world. This rapidly growing field encompasses teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to students of all ages and proficiency levels. Online English teaching leverages video conferencing tools, learning management systems, digital whiteboards, and multimedia resources to create interactive, engaging lessons that overcome geographic barriers and provide flexible scheduling for both teachers and learners.
Effective online English instruction requires a blend of traditional language teaching methodologies and digital literacy skills. Teachers must master techniques for eliciting student speech through a screen, managing virtual classroom dynamics, providing real-time pronunciation correction, and creating communicative activities that work in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Key pedagogical approaches include the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), Total Physical Response (TPR) for young learners, and the integration of authentic materials such as news articles, podcasts, and videos. Certification programs like TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA provide foundational training, while specialized online teaching credentials prepare educators for the unique demands of the virtual classroom.
The online English teaching market has expanded dramatically, driven by global demand for English proficiency in business, academia, and travel. Teachers work through established platforms such as iTalki, Preply, and Cambly, or build independent tutoring businesses. The field offers diverse opportunities ranging from teaching young Chinese learners to coaching business professionals in presentation English. Success requires not only pedagogical skill but also self-marketing, technology troubleshooting, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to build rapport through a screen. As artificial intelligence and adaptive learning technologies evolve, online English teachers are increasingly integrating these tools to personalize instruction and track student progress more effectively.
One step at a time.
An approach to language teaching that emphasizes meaningful communication and interaction as the primary goal and method of instruction, rather than rote grammar drills. Fluency is prioritized alongside accuracy, and lessons center on real-life communicative tasks.
Example: Instead of drilling verb conjugations, a teacher creates a role-play where students must negotiate a hotel reservation, practicing target language structures in a meaningful context.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are professional certifications that provide training in language teaching methodology, lesson planning, grammar instruction, and classroom management for English teachers.
Example: A prospective online teacher completes a 120-hour TEFL certification that includes modules on teaching grammar, vocabulary, the four skills, and a supervised teaching practice component.
A language teaching method developed by James Asher in which students respond to commands with physical actions. It is especially effective for young learners and beginners because it links language to movement, reducing anxiety and reinforcing comprehension.
Example: An online teacher of young learners says 'Stand up! Touch your nose! Jump!' and the students respond with the corresponding physical actions, learning vocabulary through movement.
An approach in which the lesson is structured around a communicative task that students must complete using the target language. Grammar and vocabulary instruction emerge from the needs of the task rather than being pre-taught in isolation.
Example: Students are tasked with planning a weekend trip together using a shared online document, requiring them to practice future tenses, suggestions, and negotiation language.
Stephen Krashen's hypothesis that language acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to input that is slightly above their current proficiency level (i+1). The input must be understandable through context, visual aids, or prior knowledge.
Example: A teacher uses pictures, gestures, and simplified speech to tell a story about a trip to the market, ensuring students understand the narrative even if some words are new.
Synchronous teaching occurs in real time with teacher and students present simultaneously (live video lessons). Asynchronous teaching involves pre-recorded lessons, assignments, and discussion boards that students access on their own schedule.
Example: A teacher conducts a live one-on-one conversation class on Zoom (synchronous) and assigns a recorded pronunciation exercise with a self-paced quiz for homework (asynchronous).
The proportion of lesson time spent by students speaking compared to the teacher speaking. Effective language lessons maximize STT, as students learn by using the language, not by passively listening to the teacher.
Example: A teacher redesigns a lesson to reduce their own explanation time from 20 minutes to 5, instead using prompts and pair activities to get students speaking for 25 minutes of a 30-minute class.
Techniques for addressing student language errors including immediate correction, delayed correction, self-correction prompts, recasting (repeating the utterance correctly), and elicitation (guiding the student to self-correct).
Example: When a student says 'I goed to the store,' the teacher recasts by saying 'Oh, you went to the store? What did you buy?' naturally modeling the correct form without interrupting the flow.
More terms are available in the glossary.
Choose a different way to engage with this topic — no grading, just richer thinking.
Explore your way — choose one:
See how the key ideas connect. Nodes color in as you practice.
Walk through a solved problem step-by-step. Try predicting each step before revealing it.
This is guided practice, not just a quiz. Hints and pacing adjust in real time.
Small steps add up.
What you get while practicing:
The best way to know if you understand something: explain it in your own words.
More ways to strengthen what you just learned.