Private English Tutoring Tips

~ Get business cards made that have your picture on them.

~ Target a particular student segment, e.g., students who want to study abroad.  Most of them will have to take the IELTS, so you also become an expert on preparing for that test and the myriad of others that I mention in the next paragraph.

~Have literature printed that is designed for the segment, but also states that you tutor the 4 skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, or visa versa: IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, PET, KET, plus...the SAT and ACT.  The latter have reared their ugly heads in Vietnam of late, so it wouldn't hurt for a teacher to know the test taking strategies for them.  It also wouldn't hurt to have this information on the back of the business cards, or you could even forego the literature and use the cards.

~ Go "Guerrilla" in your marketing.  This would take a little moxie, but I don't think a person would get in trouble for it...most likely!  What I'm suggesting next is a fairly common scene in HCMC, but it's usually a business doing it:

Go to the schools or universities when students are getting out of class.  Either do a couple of runs up and down the front, handing out cards/lit. along the way, or you go to the nearest stop light and wait for it to turn red.  When the motorbikes stop, you hand your information out to anyone with a backpack, or in the case of minors - their parents.  You could also hire university students to do it for you, which would increase the amount of people who get your information.

~The wages can run from $10 to $50 p/h, depending on the type of class, your qualifications, how successful the client is in selling you on their tale of financial woe, etc.  I have a friend who regularly makes $30 an hour doing private IELTS preparation, but he also holds a Trinity TESOL.

~ Take your time and build a client base.  Word of mouth will do the rest, if you're good.  Be careful not to burn yourself out! Personally, I can't teach more than 30 hours a week.  If I do my lessons suffer, which makes my students suffer, which irks my boss...

Hanoi is much better suited for privates.  I think the main reasons are the lack of foreign teachers there and the availability of the New Hanoian, a website that is widely used by Vietnamese and foreigners alike.  There's nothing like it in HCMC, insofar as the range of readers that it touches.

If you need materials, send me a PM.  I have just about anything you would need.  That offer is open to anyone, students and teachers alike.  I have a very wide range of textbooks in .pdf format and I want nothing in return, other than to know that people are learning English.

Anyone preparing for a TESOL or CELTA course can feel free to message me, too  They have required readings and I've got ya' covered!

Hope this helps.  Go get 'em Tiger!

I totally agreed with WideAwake. It depends on the type of class, your qualifications, how successful and effective you delivered your lesson.
Based on my personal experience as a private tutor, I usually charged around $10 to $35 per hour in regard to the type of class, size of the classes. For individual, I usually charged about $15 per hour for basic English. As for test preparation, I charged about $25 . As for a group of basic English, example like four students, I charged them about $30 per hour by adding $5 dollars for each additional student incurred. You do the same thing for the test preparation. My maximum charged for a large group is about $60. I also limit my student class size to about 10 students. It's for the better of the student learning. That's just my experience I wanted to share with you. Hope that help you a bit. Good luck!   Tom

Men. Hearing the fees you guys are charging make my mouth dropped.

I was recent offered to teach (part time) in a private university in SGN. A highly technical course to be taught in English. Their compensation: 5 USD/teaching hr , and of course, they don't pay for preparation time (i.e., I have to make my slides and homework assignment from scratch).

Anatta wrote:

Men. Hearing the fees you guys are charging make my mouth dropped.

I was recent offered to teach (part time) in a private university in SGN. A highly technical course to be taught in English. Their compensation: 5 USD/teaching hr , and of course, they don't pay for preparation time (i.e., I have to make my slides and homework assignment from scratch).

It's a matter of supply and demand.  I have a friend inm the US that makes over 50K USD a year teaching computer networking via the internet, to students in Hanoi! 

You're Vietnamese Anatta?

I've come to hate the placement tests, even though I profit from them.  I'm sure that someone, somewhere has killed themselves because they didn't get the 6.5 on the IELTS that they needed to study abroad.

Does anyone want to take on a TOEFL iBT student?  She just needs to improve her reading skills, but is convinced that the people at the TOEFL Monster have reinvented the task of taking a reading test.  PM me if you're a native speaker from North America, have TOEFL iBT teaching experience, are patient and you're willing to work for $12 per hour, or less.  I tried to tutor her, but after one lesson we both agreed that she needs someone else!

WideAwake

Yes, I am a VietKieu.
I have no problem with supply and demand.

The thing that irks me is reading the newspapers complaining frequently that the VietKieus are not willing to help 'motherland' to improve and the screaming demand for skilled English-speaking lecturers at the few universities teaching in English here. Either you have Vietnamese speaking professors who know the courses but speak English badly or you have native English speakers who either don't know how to teach or not technically skilled in those professions (math, business, engineering, whatever...).

Add to that, the Vietnamese students are not good enough in English so they also prefer to have lecturers who can brief explain in Vietnamese what those new concepts are, if need be.

Therefore, I figured I would help since I have also been lecturer at similar courses abroad, but 4USD/hr, come on. Adding to the common ratio of at least 3-4 hr preparation per hour taught, it works out to be 1USD/hr.

Anatta wrote:

WideAwake

Yes, I am a VietKieu.
I have no problem with supply and demand.

The thing that irks me is reading the newspapers complaining frequently that the VietKieus are not willing to help 'motherland' to improve and the screaming demand for skilled English-speaking lecturers at the few universities teaching in English here. Either you have Vietnamese speaking professors who know the courses but speak English badly or you have native English speakers who either don't know how to teach or not technically skilled in those professions (math, business, engineering, whatever...).

Add to that, the Vietnamese students are not good enough in English so they also prefer to have lecturers who can brief explain in Vietnamese what those new concepts are, if need be.

Therefore, I figured I would help since I have also been lecturer at similar courses abroad, but 4USD/hr, come on. Adding to the common ratio of at least 3-4 hr preparation per hour taught, it works out to be 1USD/hr.

Don't get me wrong Anatta, I agree with you.  I've written on here before that I would rather land a job based on my teaching skills, rather than the pigmentation of my skin, or country of origin.

I've worked for $2 an hour here!  It was a writing gig though, not teaching.

The consensus seems to be that a learners native tongue should be used minimally in the ESL classroom.  I will use a "bridge" occasionally if we come upon something that I am unable to get across to the students.  That's just another way of saying I will ask a student who does understand to translate the target language to the class.

We are looking for English teacher. Please send your profile to email: [email protected]

English House online wrote:

We are looking for English teacher. Please send your profile to email: [email protected]

Do you pay Viet Kieu who are native speakers of English the same rate as a white person who has the same qualifications?

Good Damn question WideAwake. Wonder what the response will be?

Budman1 wrote:

Good Damn question WideAwake. Wonder what the response will be?

Suddenly, I hear the sound of silence! 

I've talked to them.  They pay from $12 p/h for online classes up to $30 p/h for communications classes.

WideAwake wrote:

The consensus seems to be that a learners native tongue should be used minimally in the ESL classroom.  I will use a "bridge" occasionally if we come upon something that I am unable to get across to the students.  That's just another way of saying I will ask a student who does understand to translate the target language to the class.

Totally agree. However, the class I am talking about is not ESL. In fact, it is not an English class at all. It is a regular university class taught in English. Even though English should be used at all times and  the students' English is OK in general, the students are not all up to par in the technical jargon areas.

There are just a few of them in SGN. The best one is arguably the public Ho Chi Minh City International University which has Engineering and Business degrees. Their classes are taught totally in English.

Otherwise than that, there are a few other places, most common classes/degrees are MBA's taught by the foreign universities set up here.

The idea is to provide, in addition to technical skills, also English skills as an alternative to the studying abroad option.

WideAwake wrote:

Do you pay Viet Kieu who are native speakers of English the same rate as a white person who has the same qualifications?

A better question is "Do you hire Viet Kieu who are native speakers of English than a white person who has the same qualifications?" .

This topic was discussed in a separate thread in this forum some time ago.

For the sake of clarity, I am NOT an English teacher neither do I desire to be one.

Anatta wrote:

For the sake of clarity, I am NOT an English teacher neither do I desire to be one.

After I just asked EH a hard question for you and scared them away?  

I understand now.  What's the name of the course that you teach?

A better question is "Do you hire Viet Kieu who are native speakers of English than a white person who has the same qualifications?"

You know the answer to that one!


I should behave myself, because I might need to go work at EH. Nahhh....I gotta' be me! 

Come on English House, please answer the question.  The people want to know!

Let me re-phrase it for you:

Teacher A is an American with a BA, TESOL, 1 year of teaching experience and golden brown skin.

Teacher B is an American, with a BA, TESOL, 1 year of teaching experience and pasty white skin.

Do they both get offered a job,if you need a teacher?

If the answer is yes, do they both get offered the same amount of money?

WideAwake wrote:

Anatta wrote:

For the sake of clarity, I am NOT an English teacher neither do I desire to be one.

After I just asked EH a hard question for you and scared them away?  

I understand now.  What's the name of the course that you teach?

Let me re-phrase it for you: [/b]

Teacher A is an American with a BA, TESOL, 1 year of teaching experience and golden brown skin.

Teacher B is an American, with a BA, TESOL, 1 year of teaching experience and pasty white skin.

Do they both get offered a job,if you need a teacher?

If the answer is yes, do they both get offered the same amount of money?

Sorry for destroying your ruse
EH: pls just ignore my previous comments. I want to apply for the job, please, please. I can even bleach my skin to be pasty white, like Michael Jackson, if that is what you need. Heck, I can even do his moonwalk better in every class.

I really need to get back to work, but I still have a week to go!!!

Any language schools hiring?

WideAwake wrote:

English House online wrote:

We are looking for English teacher. Please send your profile to email: [email protected]

Do you pay Viet Kieu who are native speakers of English the same rate as a white person who has the same qualifications?

WideAwake is fair, I like your question ...

Dear WideAwake,

I have been teaching overseas since 2006. I will be doing the CELTA course in Bangkok January 2013. I would be most interested in any reading materials you have for that course.
I will be moving to Vietnam directly with the hopes to do some private tutoring there also. I found your email very helpful. Thank you!

Keldun

Vietnam is a great place to live and teach

Hello zeuskajita.

Welcome to Expat.com

Please note that this is an old thread.

You may start a new topic on the Ho Chi Minh City Forum and share your experiences with us.

Thanks

Karen

Ok got it thanks Karen!

I see your message is 2 years old... but if you still have some good IELTS materials, I would be very interested. I have just arrived in Vietnam and interested in private tutoring. Please contact me at [email protected]
thanks
stephen

Hi There! I am Rainier and I am also very interested with your materials as I also aspire to become an English tutor specifically in Ho Chi Minh City. I'll be very very grateful if you can share with me your copy of manuals or pdfs so I can earn extra by spreading the knowledge. You may send the files to my email address at [email protected]. Xin Chao!

Hello Steven and Rainier,

Welcome to Expat.com

As you are already aware the thread is two years old and you may not get any answer.

I suggest to create a new discussion on the Ho Chi Minh City Forum.

All the best,
Olivier
Expat.com Team

WideAwake wrote:

~ Get business cards made that have your picture on them.

~ Target a particular student segment, e.g., students who want to study abroad.  Most of them will have to take the IELTS, so you also become an expert on preparing for that test and the myriad of others that I mention in the next paragraph.

~Have literature printed that is designed for the segment, but also states that you tutor the 4 skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, or visa versa: IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, PET, KET, plus...the SAT and ACT.  The latter have reared their ugly heads in Vietnam of late, so it wouldn't hurt for a teacher to know the test taking strategies for them.  It also wouldn't hurt to have this information on the back of the business cards, or you could even forego the literature and use the cards.

~ Go "Guerrilla" in your marketing.  This would take a little moxie, but I don't think a person would get in trouble for it...most likely!  What I'm suggesting next is a fairly common scene in HCMC, but it's usually a business doing it:

Go to the schools or universities when students are getting out of class.  Either do a couple of runs up and down the front, handing out cards/lit. along the way, or you go to the nearest stop light and wait for it to turn red.  When the motorbikes stop, you hand your information out to anyone with a backpack, or in the case of minors - their parents.  You could also hire university students to do it for you, which would increase the amount of people who get your information.

~The wages can run from $10 to $50 p/h, depending on the type of class, your qualifications, how successful the client is in selling you on their tale of financial woe, etc.  I have a friend who regularly makes $30 an hour doing private IELTS preparation, but he also holds a Trinity TESOL.

~ Take your time and build a client base.  Word of mouth will do the rest, if you're good.  Be careful not to burn yourself out! Personally, I can't teach more than 30 hours a week.  If I do my lessons suffer, which makes my students suffer, which irks my boss...

Hanoi is much better suited for privates.  I think the main reasons are the lack of foreign teachers there and the availability of the New Hanoian, a website that is widely used by Vietnamese and foreigners alike.  There's nothing like it in HCMC, insofar as the range of readers that it touches.

If you need materials, send me a PM.  I have just about anything you would need.  That offer is open to anyone, students and teachers alike.  I have a very wide range of textbooks in .pdf format and I want nothing in return, other than to know that people are learning English.

Anyone preparing for a TESOL or CELTA course can feel free to message me, too  They have required readings and I've got ya' covered!

Hope this helps.  Go get 'em Tiger!

Thanks a lot - you speak as a true teacher who cares. Kudos!

" Get business cards made that have your picture on them "

Bloody brilliant idea, then the Police can compare the Photo with your Passport Photo, when they deport you for operating a business without a licence, and " Illegal labour ", it's almost as intelligent as advertising on a public website???

'' Go to the schools or universities when students are getting out of class.  Either do a couple of runs up and down the front, handing out cards/lit. along the way, or you go to the nearest stop light and wait for it to turn red.  When the motorbikes stop, you hand your information out to anyone with a backpack, or in the case of minors - their parents.  You could also hire university students to do it for you, which would increase the amount of people who get your information."
  Yep, nothing like a bit of " friendly " competition,  it wouldn't take long before the school/Uni got wind of that, ( like the same day ), and informed the Authorities,

Hi! I have read you response to the latter. I am interested with your available teaching materials to share. I do online tutoring and I get my materials online too, however, sometimes I lack materials to students certain needs. If it's okay, would you mind sharing some with me? It would be very helpful.


Thank you.

Hi Ben I was wondering if you open to discussing possible English lessons for my Fiance.

Regards

Gary

Hi there.  I'm a expat teacher too and only teach private students. Don't like the structure in schools and learning centers. Found I get the best rates when I teach Korean students.  Range from 20-30 usd an hour. Usually in D7 or D2.  Most of my students say they find tutors in Korean mags and Korean forums.  The forums are just referral based so you can't advertise in there.

xxx
Vu

Good job Wide Awake!!!

I am looking for an Tutor english teacher teaching me IELTS course , i will pay a reasonable fee as market , i would like to study 3 days per week , can anyone can support me ? i am in District 6 ,

Hi everyone,

@ Jinequach, please browse through the ads in the Language classes in Ho Chi Minh City section of the website or drop your own ad so that you may be contacted easily.

All the best,
Bhavna

Hi Ben. I'd love to see your materials for private tutoring English. I'm just a starter though I already have 2 students. I just prepare random topics to discuss. Are you still working in Ho Chi Minh City? I'd love to meet you too in person. If it's not too much pls. send some tips & topic outline to my e-mail add: ***

Hi,iam trying to start my own tutoring business.My target audience is primary and secondary students.Looking for materials and ideas,thank you,brenton

1sammy wrote:

Hi,iam trying to start my own tutoring business.My target audience is primary and secondary students.Looking for materials and ideas,thank you,brenton

Start with a set of good quality text books, perhaps 'my pals' (international edition) or whatever you like. You'll have to find an educational book supplier but the internet will do that for you.

Then you have to be better than everyone else.

Hello ,
Could you please PM me @ *** all the  materials you have for English teaching /preparation. 

Thank you ,

Regards,

Manish Awasthi

Hello!
Thank you for all of the info!!! You wrote that you have a bunch of materials at hand, do you mind sending them to me? Please and thank you so much!

Hi,

I was elated to read that you have a bunch of materials--IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, PET, KET, TESOL, CELTA.
I would really appreciate it if would email them to me.

Thank you so much.

Minh

I got a bunch of free materials. All freeloaders, feel free to message me if you want them.