How to Tutor English Over Skype

Teaching English as a second or foreign language (ESL) allows you to help others learn how to communicate and often produces a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Besides providing the opportunity to travel and discover new cultures, teaching English can give you a flexible schedule with a lot of freedom. Thanks to modern technology and the Internet, you can even tutor English from the comfort of your own home through video conferencing with Skype. Skype is a free application that allows you to instant message, call or video chat with anyone who has a Skype account. If you are going to tutor English over Skype, it is important that your students have all of the materials you intend to use beforehand.

Difficulty:: Moderate

Instructions

Skype account
Headset with microphone

- 1
  
  Create a list of websites you will be using. Your student needs to have access to any extra material you will be using before, during and after the class. You don't want to waste time copying and pasting links, then describing to your student where to look on the website. Email your student a document with a list of all web resources you will be using and what material they specifically reference.
- 2
  
  Make sure your client has the same books and materials. Even if you are not teaching face to face, you will need to use an English text book at some point or another. Exercises and textbook material help ESL students learn difficult tenses and grammar points. Make a list of all of the books you will be using and include it in the document with your list of websites. If your student will be unable to buy English textbooks, scan the material you intend to use each week and email it to your student the day before in PDF format.
- 3
  
  Use a headset with a microphone so that your client can hear you speak clearly. One of the disadvantages of using Skype for video conferencing is the sound quality; background noise, interference and slow Internet connections can make your voice sound gurgled or muffled. When teaching English as a foreign or second language, it is essential that students be able to hear you clearly for comprehension and pronunciation. You should also recommend that your student use earphones during Skype English sessions to get better sound quality on her end.
- 4
  
  Have your student type answers to questions and exercises into Skype's instant message box. When you want to check your student's written progress, Skype's instant messaging feature can come in handy.