2 days ago4 min read

Becoming a Language Teacher Without Formal Education: A Guide for Native Speakers

In today’s globalized world, the demand for language teachers is very high, and being a native speaker of a certain language can be a great advantage. This type of work is a great source of income for students or digital nomads, as many language lessons are now conducted online. If you're a native speaker without formal linguistic education, but are considering language teaching you may be unsure where to begin. In this article, we will propose you a few ideas how you can start, where to find students, and how to market your services effectively.

Are you the right person to teach the language?

Being a native speaker can be an advantage as a language teacher, but it’s not always enough. Native speakers often have an intuitive understanding of the language’s nuances, cultural contexts, idioms, and colloquialisms that may be difficult for non-native speakers to fully grasp.

However, many native speakers “feel” their language rather than understand it analytically. Without formal linguistic education, explaining language rules in a clear, accessible way to beginners can be challenging.

So, how can you prepare to teach your language effectively if you are a native speaker without formal training in the linguistic field or teaching?

Steps to Become a Language Teacher

In many countries, to apply for language teaching jobs a degree in linguistics and teaching is required. Nevertheless, there is still an option to offer private lessons. Many people want to learn a language specifically with native speakers. What is important though, is before seeking students, you should assess what you can offer to them besides the fact of being a native. If you don’t have experience in teaching and your only advantage is being a native speaker, you should think about preparing your teaching strategy:

Refresh the Basics: You likely learned grammar in primary school, but over time, language use becomes automatic, and you don’t think about its rules while speaking. In teaching a language it’s very important to understand its rules and structure and be able to explain it to others. In that case, going back to the basics and reading textbooks on your language might be useful.

Understand Common Challenges: Research the difficulties foreigners face in learning your language. For example, watching language lesson videos on YouTube and reading comment sections can provide insights into learning experiences and common obstacles of students of many different backgrounds.

Learn a Foreign Language Yourself: Experiencing language learning yourself helps you understand your students' needs and challenges they might face while learning your language. This perspective can help you select effective teaching methods and make meaningful comparisons between languages.

Develop a Curriculum: Decide whether to use existing resources (textbooks, online materials) or create your strategy and structure of lessons. Offering worksheets or workbooks can be a valuable addition for your students. Once you identify your target, research available resources to find what will work best for your potential students.

Define Your Target Audience

Before seeking students, it’s essential to define your teaching approach, target audience, and what you can offer them.

Start by considering the types of students you'd like to teach and their goals. People may be interested in language lessons for various reasons: business purposes, school support, exam preparation (such as IELTS, TOEIC, CAMBRIDGE etc.), or simply conversational practice to improve pronunciation. Mind the fact that preparing students for certification exams often requires specific qualifications and knowledge about the structure of particular exams)

If you’re a beginner in teaching language, consider focusing on conversational lessons for those with basic knowledge or beginner-level lessons to help students build foundational skills.

Enhance Your Skills

Although you may not have a formal teaching education, you can still improve your teaching skills in many ways:

Online Courses: Consider taking online courses in language teaching methodologies, lesson planning, and classroom management.
Networking: Join groups about learning and teaching languages on social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. Engaging with experienced teachers can provide valuable resources and tips.
Create a Teaching Portfolio: Do free first lessons, offer some lessons for free, and get feedback from your students. A teaching portfolio can help showcase your skills and attract potential students. Include. In our other article you can find where you can promote yourself as a teacher and find students:

You can also consider creating an account on instagram, facebook or youtube to promote your services or use language apps. You can also show the people how you teach, what is your approach, and encourage them to learn the language with you.

Setting Your Rates

Remember to take into account your experience and the form of the lessons (online or in-person) when deciding on your prices. You can increase your prices when you gain more experience and confidence in your teaching methods.

Before setting the price you should also decide on the duration of your lessons. The most popular duration of the language lesson is 50 or 60 minutes. You can also ask your students what duration is suitable for them and offer them a few options. You will show them that you are flexible and willing to adjust to their needs.

Is It Possible to Become a Language Teacher Without Formal Education?

Becoming a language teacher as a native speaker without diploma in linguistics or teaching is entirely possible. Define your teaching approach, improve your skills, and actively seek students and get their feedback after every lesson. This way you will gain experience, create your teaching portfolio and higher your qualifications.

Ultimately, students value an engaging, enjoyable, and effective learning experience over your academic background and diplomas. Use materials that your students can relate to - like articles, videos, and songs. Encourage discussions, role-plays, and real-world conversations to boost their confidence and progress. It’s easier to learn when you can imagine yourself in a situation that’s familiar to you.

Always prepare before each lesson and treat each student individually. Ensure that you provide your students with the highest possible quality.

You can also read about:

What Makes a Good Language Teacher?