Looking for EFL/ESL students for private classes? Whether you’re hoping to earn a bit of extra money or intending to make private tutoring your primary source of income, you need to know how to attract students so you can start earning quickly.
The three best ways to get private EFL/ESL students are: 1. Create an online presence, 2. Advertise yourself with flyers and posters, 3. Involve yourself in the community where you hope to work. Reputation and word of mouth create a constant flow of interested students.
The guidance here is mostly directed at EFL/ESL teachers giving in-person private classes, although some concepts apply to online teachers.
I have given private EFL classes since 2016 and in 2020 I made it my full-time job, with 5 full days of classes every week and plenty of interested students which I have to turn down. The methods in this article helped me make this a possibility.
This article is part of my big guide, How to Get Started as an EFL/ESL Private Tutor, so I urge you to read that in order to learn the process from start to finish.
What do students want from an EFL/ESL private tutor?
The factors prospective students consider when looking for an EFL/ESL tutor vary.
For example, a university student seeking conversation may value low-cost native speakers, but won’t be too bothered about what qualifications and experience you have.
On the other hand, if your target students are young children, you’ll have to advertise to their parents. They may value experience working with kids above anything else.
Before you create any promotional material, think about what students you want to teach, and what they prioritise.
Here is some guidance for what different types of students favour. The information in this list is general and there will be exceptions in every category. You don’t have to meet all the requirements, but make sure to advertise the things you do.
- Professional adults in business: Qualifications (e.g. TEFL), grammatical expertise, experience in business, organisational skills.
- Adults looking for conversation: Native English, friendly attitude, lower cost, interesting personality.
- Exam preparation students: Qualifications (e.g. TEFL), experience preparing students for exams (ideally the exam they’re taking), grammatical expertise.
- Parents of teenage students: Native English, ability to relate to teenagers. Qualifications help.
- Parents of children aged 12 or under: Experience teaching children, friendly attitude, dynamic teaching style.
A TEFL certificate is enough for most prospective students. The majority won’t know the difference between a 120-hour TEFL, a Level 5 TEFL or a CELTA, so just having something to your name is enough.
No matter who you teach, you’ll need a quality TEFL certificate. I recommend International TEFL and TESOL Training. Click the link for 15% off all courses (I receive compensation, so you’re supporting me, too). Not convinced? Read why I’d choose ITTT over other TEFL course providers.
Once you’ve identified what to focus on when making promotional material, you can start thinking of how to create and distribute it.
1. Set up an online presence
An online profile helps students learn about you before committing to lessons and allows you to get your name into local communities. If you’re planning to do online classes, this is a must.
Social media is your friend if you use it right. In 2022, Facebook is the main platform for advertising local services, and most towns and districts have a Facebook page where people can promote themselves. Find the one where you’ll be giving classes and get your name out there.
Other social media like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are good ways of showing your personality to prospective students. They’ll trust you more if you’re active online.
Aside from social media, you can use sites like Tutoroo and LearnPick. Tutoroo is a platform for finding language tutors worldwide, while LearnPick is for all subjects. There are plenty more country-specific sites, so do your research on which ones are popular where you are.
You don’t need any fancy posters, and you don’t need your own website. Just get your details out there in as many places as possible.
There are other sites where students post requests for English tutors. These are generally local. I remember using Lingo Bongo to find some work when I first moved to Madrid.
2. Create posters and flyers
Online advertising is great, but it doesn’t reach all prospective students. It often requires people to be actively looking for a teacher, whereas physical marketing goes directly to everyone in the local area.
Use Microsoft PowerPoint, Publisher, or another graphics design program (Canva is a good free option) to make a simple poster or flyer.
It doesn’t have to be amazing. Just make sure all the important information is easy to read, even for people who don’t understand English. If you can write it in your prospective students’ language, all the better.
Include:
- TEFL qualifications
- A photo of yourself (smiling)
- Any experience you have in education
- Your teaching style
- Cost
- Hours available
- Contact details – phone number and email address
I recommend making an A4 poster as well as a smaller flyer.
Now go to local schools, universities, businesses, town halls, anywhere where prospective students might be. Ask the people there if you could put your poster up on a noticeboard, or if they could send the flyers out with other correspondence, like the school newsletter.
Most places will be happy to do this. It’s also a good way to make contacts in schools and places of work.
3. Involve yourself in the local community
The single best way to get new students is by word of mouth. People who know trust you will recommend you to their friends and family, and that recommendation holds a lot of weight.
You don’t have to become best friends with the head teachers of every school in the area, but showing your face and letting them know who you are is enough. Give them your phone number. When parents ask if they know of any private tutors, they’ll be able to pass on your information.
Maybe you make a few acquaintances with people who work in a big company. When their colleagues look for private tutors, they’ll point them in your direction.
As you establish yourself, your reputation in the community will benefit you, assuming you act professionally and deliver great classes.
Trust and familiarity go a long way.
I haven’t needed to advertise online or use posters/flyers for over a year, yet I still get regular requests for classes thanks to my reputation.
Word of mouth is strongest in town and village communities. It’s powerful in cities, too, but there’s often more competition from other EFL/ESL tutors, so you really have to stand out.
Conclusion
Knowing who you want to teach and targeting them will get you great results.
To start off, focus on steps 1 and 2 – online presence and physical marketing. They’ll get you the first influx of students. Over time, community involvement will become increasingly important, perhaps to the point where you can rely on it completely.
At the end of the day, the best way to get more students and keep existing ones is to give consistent, high-quality, enjoyable classes.
Catch up on all the articles in the Getting Started as a Private EFL/ESL Tutor guide:
How to Get Started as an EFL/ESL Private Tutor: Full guide
Requirements and Qualifications to Become an EFL/ESL Tutor
How to Get Private EFL/ESL Classes: Quickly find students
How Long Should Private EFL/ESL Classes Be: Tips included
How Much Should You Charge for Private EFL/ESL Classes?
Where Should In-Person Private EFL/ESL Classes Take Place?
Make Sure You Get Paid for Private EFL/ESL Classes
9 Items Every EFL/ESL Teacher Needs for Brilliant Classes
