[The Fantasist]

The great thing about being English speakers is we have a knowledge that others want to gain. Does anybody have any experience of teaching English privately,one on one. Teaching English at a school abroad is all well and good but you're tied to a job and a routine just like you are back home. A lifestyle where I could roll into town,put an advert in the local rag and start teaching private lessons appeals far more. You are your own boss and work when you want. Has anybody ever tried doing it this way? Did you get many clients,did you cover your costs,etc.? Would be interesting to hear opinions.

[redneckpunk]

(08-29-2012 07:29 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

The great thing about being English speakers is we have a knowledge that others want to gain. Does anybody have any experience of teaching English privately,one on one. Teaching English at a school abroad is all well and good but you're tied to a job and a routine just like you are back home. A lifestyle where I could roll into town,put an advert in the local rag and start teaching private lessons appeals far more. You are your own boss and work when you want. Has anybody ever tried doing it this way? Did you get many clients,did you cover your costs,etc.? Would be interesting to hear opinions.

did freelance teaching for years both one on one and company classes and at schools cutting out the middle man. Was making double per hour what a "normal" ESL teacher would make in the same city.

1 on 1 clients are flakey so keeping a steady stream is difficult. It takes time to line up students.

If your plan is to roll in some city for a few weeks and make decent money teaching one on one, it probably isn't going to happen. It will be hard to grab enough students in a short period of time. They cancel often, you need a place to teach them, books, etc.

If you are talking about staying in a place for many many months or years then yes it is possible and you can make good money.

Word of mouth and having local contacts (old students, HR peeps, school headmasters you worked for, local that worked in the education sector, other expat teachers, etc.) is the best way to get the good gigs and this takes time, typically a year or more. Ads in the paper typically yield low quality peeps.

Might need to speak the local language to place the ad, give directions, negotiate, etc.

In my experience it can be done, but it takes time. If your lucky you can find an expat teacher that has more work than time and take some of his students.

Next problem securing a visa.