Some people turn their love to teach other people into a money-making activity. They get to meet persons with diverse mother tongues and become a teacher or tutor online. Amazing, right? You can do this with iTalki. Let’s talk more about iTalki, and I will also provide my honest review of the program.
Teaching is a fulfilling career, and I’d like for you to know more about this decent opportunity by using iTalki. It might be able to help you with earning from home, in case you don’t like or can’t work in a public setting. A teacher has a calling, and that is to impart knowledge to others, and if you’re that kind of person, then, this is a good avenue for you. You will earn good money, and motivate someone else to learn a new language. The best part of it all is that you can teach anytime and anywhere around the globe.
Working from home is very widespread these days. With iTalki, teachers like you who want to earn by the hour within their home office can.
Learning More About iTalki
Here is my understanding of iTalki.
It is an online community with educators (teachers and tutors) and learners within the group. According to their website, they have at least 3,000,000 language learners who speak more or less 100 different languages. It means that the community spans all over one hundred countries around the world.
Now, if there are 3,000,000 students, the demand for teachers and tutors are also high. At this moment, there are about 5,000 educators in iTalki, and it rises every day. That's where you come in. You can teach the English language to those students who barely speak it, and take note; they are very eager to learn from you.
If you are a teacher/tutor who knows and is fluent in more than one language, then, iTalki needs you. You can teach English and all the other languages that you are proficient in, to your students. It will give you a good paying income stream for a long time if you want it, and you’d meet many people online from different countries and walks of life.
You can also choose your work hours since it's possible that a potential student has a different time zone. Pick your time slots for there’s always a learner needing your assistance. You may be in the United States, but your student wants to know how to speak English from Japan or South Korea. That is a 12-hour time difference which may benefit you when it comes to adjusting your teaching schedule.
Qualifications To Become An iTalki Teacher
This thing may be online work, but once you are in iTalki, you are called a professional teacher or a community tutor. Of course, there are specific qualifications for every teacher and tutor. You need to understand what credentials you must possess to become a professional teacher or a community tutor.
Professional Teacher For iTalki – You must present qualifications to iTalki that you are certified to teach English, your native tongue, and other languages. Experience in teaching these lingos are also a plus.
Community Tutor For iTalki – This is like an informal kind of teaching. You have to be 18 years old at least to become a community tutor and have the passion for imparting lessons in language. Of course, whatever documents you have to prove that you’re a worthy linguistic tutor, it must be sent to iTalki.
Rates In iTalki
As for the rates per hour of teaching, you have the freedom to decide on that. You can go as low as $1 per hour to as high as $20, depending upon your qualifications. Of course, students will also have to choose you as their teacher or tutor since they will be paying your fee. Keep that in mind when placing your hourly wage rate.
What Kind Of Equipment Do I Need?
You need the following things:
- A personal computer, a laptop or a mobile phone/tablet in good working condition
- Strong internet connection
- Webcam
- Headphones/headsets
- Video conferencing programs like Skype
Becoming An iTalki Teacher or Tutor: Application Process
To make everything simple, follow these two easy steps. (After registration)
- Check this page for open slots as a teacher or tutor. You will find which languages are in need of an educator and you can apply to it if you have the necessary qualifications.
- After that, go to https://www.italki.com/teacher/application for your application.
Before you can apply as a teacher, you need to register as a student of iTalki. It is the only way for you to gain access to the teacher application form. The community wants you to learn another lingo so that you are ready to impart the same teaching habit with your students, but by using your mother tongue, of course.
After signing up as a learner, iTalki will send a confirmation email. Once the verification process is done through your email address, you can now register as a teacher or a community tutor.
Let’s Talk About Earnings In iTalki
You decide how much you want to earn as a teacher or as a community tutor. It will all depend upon your hourly rate, your role (teacher or tutor), how many hours you work daily or weekly, how many learners you have to teach, the competition, and iTalki’s 15% cut.
In Reddit, some iTalki tutors said that their rate per hour varied from $9 to $20. Those who had $20/hour rates were professors and possessed stellar qualifications.
iTalki Credits
After each lesson, you get credits from iTalki. One credit is equal to one US dollar. You can withdraw your credits anytime through payment methods like PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill, Alipay, and wire transfers to a bank. All options except AliPay requires a withdrawal request to get paid.
Withdrawing Your Credits
If you request a withdrawal and submit it by the 15th of the current month, then, you will get your earnings by the 26th of the same month.
Now, if your request falls anywhere after the 15th and before the 30th or 31st of the current month, then, you’ll get your earnings by the 10th of the next month.
Alipay requests must be submitted by month’s end to receive it by the 10th of the next month. Also, the minimum amount that you can withdraw is $30. You also bear the necessary fees and transfer charges.
Advantages Of Being An iTalki Teacher Or Tutor
One of the most significant benefits an iTalki teacher or tutor has is the opportunity to earn while working at the comforts of your own home. But it’s not just about making money. Here are some advantages of teaching through iTalki:
- The student database for iTalki is massive. It has more than 3,000,000 learners, and should you teach through iTalki you will have access to all those students. Imagine that!
- You get to choose your schedule. Work is flexible and at your own pace. And since you work from home, it is convenient.
- If you have a tablet, earphones, webcam, and a stable net connection, it’s an easy work set-up.
- Payment methods from lessons are worry-free. iTalki will deal with all the processing of earnings and you are paid for every session you teach without hassles.
- It is also a chance for you to build yourself and your reputation as a teacher or tutor within the community.
- If you teach a lot of students, you will also earn big bucks.
How To Make More Money Through iTalki
Practical tips on how to earn more in iTalki:
- Start small with your hourly rates. Those who are priced low will get more students. So, instead of charging $20 per hour with 1-2 students a week, how about charging $10/hour and get 1-2 learners a day, at least? You need to build your name first before you can ask for a higher rate. And if your students will provide great reviews for you, you will also gain more learners in the future. Keep it slow and steady, then, increase your rate little by little.
- Some tutors teach during odd hours. For example, they do the lessons at 2 in the morning their time zone, but in their student’s home country, it’s 10 am. If you choose hours like this, you can maximize your earnings since there will be fewer competitors.
- Hone your teaching and communication skills well. If you build a bond or rapport with your learners, it’s highly likely that they will be your repeat students. They will come back to you for more lessons, and probably endorse you to their family and friends.
- Complete your profile page because potential students will check it before hiring you. If your profile is impressive and interesting, chances are you will get more learners under your supervision. Put an intro video, speak slowly to introduce yourself and your skills, and smile. Be welcoming.
I know for a fact that this site is entirely LEGIT. Go to the page – https://www.italki.com/home, and you can see for yourself. If you are a teacher and want to earn on the side (or even full time), you can do that in iTalki. At first, it may be small. But educators have converted to teaching online, and it’s been great, according to their testimonies.
iTalki Screenshots
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Your Turn
Are you a teacher or a tutor from iTalki? How was the whole experience for you? Are you still teaching using the platform? How much did you charge? Do you have any tips for aspiring iTalki teachers and tutors? Please let us know. We are looking forward to your comments and suggestions!
