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Lesson Plans and Ideas

My very first trial lesson on Preply

So it finally happened! After months of debating and postponing the recording of the video for Preply, I made it. I sat down, recorded the video and after only one day of waiting, my application was approved. I assumed that just like with any other teaching platform I’ve used before, I will wait a week and book maybe a student or two. Spoilers alert – I was wrong.

Once I got accepted to be a Preply English tutor, I completed their four internal self-study courses:

• How to create a profile that gets students
• How Preply works
• The Preply classroom
• Preply Methodology for English subject tutors

It took me about an hour to complete all four of them and to be completely frank, I got a little confused. I assumed that I have some time to play around with it and figure it out before I get booked. What I hadn’t anticipated was that I’d get my very first class booked for the next day.

Let me share my Preply experience with you!

1. Before the class

I have had plenty of trial lessons before. I normally follow my routine and focus on delivering a demo lesson just to give a taste of what my lessons look like and what you can expect of me as a teacher.

However, Preply suggests using their built-in agenda to have a successful trial lesson. This feature got me just a little bit nervous.

I decided to follow some of their steps, but make it my own, so I feel comfortable teaching it. As I was wondering what to do during the first class, I searched for inspiration online and found a perfect video that dispelled all my doubts.

First of all, I was doubtful of the Preply courses and wasn’t sure whether they were optional or I could refer to them from time to time.  Martin Sketchley  from  ELT Experiences  discusses this point with his student during the trial lesson. He says that even though there is a library of resources available, he likes to use his materials because they are more complete and aligned for students. I felt relieved and decided to follow Martin’s lesson structure and some of his insightful questions and information about the platform and creating the perfect English course. I adapted it to my very first student (level A2/B1).

Below you can see my idea of the first class with a demo lesson on question word order and question intonation.

I supported my lesson plan with a simple yet aesthetically pleasing presentation. If you want to see my presentation, you can download it for free at the end of the post.

2. During the class

I entered the classroom before the lesson to see how all of the Preply tools work. I had no issues before the class, so I decided to spend the rest of the time relaxing. The class started on time without any hiccups. We made small talk to break the ice and I decided to continue with my presentation. That’s when the problems began.

On any other videoconference platform, it is possible to choose an application that you want to share. This option was available to me before the class. During the lesson, I was only left with sharing my entire screen. It surprised me, but I decided to do that instead. Another thing I realised was that share the sound button seems to appear and disappear whenever it pleases. It was there when I was playing around before the class, but it conveniently disappeared during the lesson. Luckily, we didn’t do listening, so I decided to model and drill pronunciation myself.

Obviously, I was worried about not following the Preply recommended courses, but as it turned out it worked in my favour. The student has tried other tutors before and said that she’s done many of the courses with them and was pleasantly surprised that I came prepared. She said that it looks more professional and it made her feel that I thought about her before the lesson.

The class continued without any issues. We liked each other, and we booked another class next week! In fact, I was able to schedule it for my student, as accidentally she paid for four hours of classes with me. This was done in the last five minutes. In fact, she was surprised when I told her that it was time to finish because we had a great time talking and getting to know each other.

Class booking is very simple and if you use a Google Calendar, all your other commitments get immediately applied, so Preply students can’t take that spot. I used to use the Outlook Calendar before because it was connected to my laptop. Now all my classes are synchronised with the Google Calendar and the Preply Calendar. It’s just much easier.

3. After the class

The class was a success. I got a new student who I enjoyed spending time with, and I think that we can develop a nice long-term relationship. However, I tend to be a little bit critical of myself and my teaching, so here we go.

First of all, I overplanned. I guess it’s better than underplanning. I will keep my presentation as it is and will reuse it with some of my future students. I think that one day, I may have a student who isn’t as talkative and we may be able to go through the whole demo lesson without any delays.

Another important thing is that for the first time in my teaching career I have Polish students. I’m a native Polish speaker and I decided that I won’t be using it in class, unless necessary. I think that the second I show that we can communicate in Polish, this will be the go-to language, and this isn’t the point of this class. This particular student enjoyed this aspect because it felt more natural for her to communicate in English than in Polish, and we want to keep it this way!

I may be using the Preply recommended courses with some students, but definitely not with all of them. This student enjoyed the personal touch and thought that it showed professionalism. Of course, we don’t always have to use presentations as the main way of delivering information. I’ve been using presentations for a while now and I think that it’s a much more structured way of explaining certain things, for example, grammar. Additionally, some students have been on Preply for some time now and have completed some of the courses. By using your materials, you can make sure that everything they learn is taught in a new way. This student also gave me a lot of creative freedom and said that she’s happy to follow my materials and wants to learn following my methodology.

So that’s my experience using the Preply platform. So far, I’m happy with it because I’ve never been able to get that many students in such a short time. I still have a long way to fully understand all the features, but I’m sure that it’s a matter of time before I’m comfortable with it.

Have you tried Preply before? If so, what was your first experience like? If not, would you like to try it?

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Published by joannaesl

A CELTA certified ESL teacher based in Altea, Spain. I share my experience regarding teaching in Spain, getting into ESL from scratch, but I also like to prepare lesson plans and classroom content. View all posts by joannaesl

11 thoughts on “My very first trial lesson on Preply”

This was very interesting for me as I’d never heard of Preply.

Like Liked by 1 person

If you have some spare hours, you should give it a go 😊

• Pingback: One month on Preply – JoannaESL
• Pingback: Preply – So…when does it get good? – JoannaESL

Hey! I was wondering whether you have any advice on creating a placement test or a website suitable for non-english speakers to take the test? I’m new to teaching on Preply and not sure about that part of the lesson plan. Many thanks in advance!

Hello! Thank you for the question. Preply offers its own placement test that students can complete in their free time. Once they complete it, you get a notification with the results. There’s even a short speaking section, so you get to listen to their voices and focus on their pronunciation and accuracy.

If they don’t complete the test, you can always send them a link which will be available to you in the chat, so it’s really easy. You can’t send any links or documents before a trial lesson, so any outside website is out of the question.

Hope it helps 😊

• Pingback: A2 trial lesson plan by ChatGPT – JoannaESL

Thanks for sharing your lesson plan, Joanna! Here are few of my ideas for trial lessons: https://studytime.pro/trial-lessons/

It became fashionable to hate on Preply, but I must admit that despite many things that could be improved, it’s not a bad platform to use. I resonate with your feeling about Preply giving you this flexibility that is hard to get otherwise. I also got a chance to teach group lessons and do some behind-the-scenes testing for them, which was fun to be a part of.

Another thing I need to mention is your comment about giving a truly professional first lesson on Preply. I followed your first lesson ‘tutorial’ before teaching on Preply for the first time and got the exact same comment! I think students don’t have high expectations from online tutors, and I hope this sentiment will change soon.

Thank you for the mention and good luck on your next big adventure!💪🏽

• Pingback: First class – the needs analysis – JoannaESL

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Preply Review: Is It Any Good For Online Teachers?

If you’ve ever looked into teaching English online, you’ve probably heard of Preply or seen a preply.com review. 

Preply is an online learning marketplace founded in 2012 by three Ukranian entrepreneurs. 

You can teach subjects other than languages on Preply. But language learning, especially English, has by far the most tutors on the site. 

You may have seen mixed Preply reviews. Some tutors appreciate the flexibility the site offers, but many are unhappy with the unpaid trial lessons, high commission and resulting low earnings. 

This Preply review investigates those issues while offering an alternative perspective from a tutor who has made the platform work for her. 

If you want to become a qualified online language teacher and earn a living from home, I recommend checking out CeOLT (Certificate of Online Language Teaching).

Click here to find out more .

What Is Preply?

Preply is a learning platform based in the US, but it was initially co-founded by three Ukrainian entrepreneurs: Kirill Bigai, Dmytro Voloshyn, and Serge Lukyanov. The company now operates in 30 countries with over 400 staff. 

The platform connects tutors with students looking to learn languages as well as other skills such as maths, university preparation, or art. In fact, Preply offers online tutoring in 100 subjects. 

How Does Preply Work?

Preply connects language teachers with students from all over the world. The platform is designed around the learner's needs, giving them complete control over what and when they want to learn their target language.

One of the main features of Preply is the trial lesson. It’s an hour-long session that allows students to discuss their level and focus areas with potential tutors.

Preply also offers three package types (casual, determined, and unstoppable) that allow learners to buy lessons in bulk and commit to their studies.

The classroom is similar to Zoom or Skype but is a built-in feature of Preply's desktop and app versions. This means that learners don’t need to download any additional software.

Within the Preply classroom, learners have access to a note and chat section, interactive whiteboard, and homework tab, all of which help to structure their learning and encourage engagement.

With a range of price brackets, students can easily find a tutor that matches their budget. Additionally, tutors can send attachments and lesson plans, which appear in their own area, making learning easily accessible wherever learners are.

Preply Review: A Summary 

Teachers have mixed feelings about working for Preply. Some tutors enjoy working there, and others criticise the company and its practices. 

Certainly, the trial lesson concept and high commission rate can mean working a lot for little pay.

Other teaching platforms, such as LanguaTalk, offer lower commissions and limit the number of tutors on the site. 

However, suppose you don't have credentials or much experience teaching language skills. In that case, Preply can be an excellent place to get your feet wet, as you can start tutoring without qualifications or experience. 

Also, if you initially ignore Preply’s advice to price your lessons at 12 USD, you can earn more. But this will only work if you specialise in a particular aspect of English teaching. More on that later. 

The Good 

• Even if you have no experience as a language tutor, no credentials, or no degree, you can start teaching on Preply. Non-native speakers of English can also apply.
• Preply provides materials so you don’t have to create lesson plans from scratch. 
• Preply's videoconferencing software, Preply Classroom, means that students can log into lessons in the app, and you don’t have to use an alternative like Zoom or Skype (although you can). Be aware that the classes are occasionally recorded! 
• Preply has a big marketing budget meaning it’s everywhere on the web, but potential students may have trouble finding your profile on the actual site.
• Set your own hours and cancel lessons with up to four hours’ notice. 

The Bad 

• A Preply tutor doesn’t get paid for trial lessons and trial lessons last 60 minutes. 
• Preply takes an initial lesson commission of 33% which is reduced to 18% after 400 hours of completed lessons on the platform (including trial lessons).
• Students have complained about the new subscription pricing model. 
• If you miss trial lessons, Preply will hide your profile.
• The quality of the lesson plans Preply provides may be lacking. 
• Whilst Preply claims it will offer you “a steady stream of language learners”, it will take time to build up your profile, and full-time hours are not guaranteed.
• The platform has a lot of English tutors (over 12,000 at the time of writing), so it can be hard to stand out.  

How Much Does Preply Pay?

According to Preply, online English tutors typically charge 15 – 25 USD per hour before commission. But you can command significantly higher rates if you offer more specialised lessons. 

Later in this post, you’ll hear from a tutor who initially ignored Preply’s advice to charge 12 USD and started at 40 USD. As you can imagine, she doesn’t teach general English or conversation lessons. 

How To Rank Up On Preply

Most bookings on Preply go to tutors on the first few pages of the search results. To get your profile onto these three pages, you will need to improve your ranking and increase the number of hours you receive.

The following criteria determine your placement:

• Your availability on Preply.
• Your success in converting a trial lesson into a paying student.
• The number of students that contact you.
• The number of students that attend 100% of your classes.
• The number of high ratings you receive from student reviews.

Preply Review: The Verdict 

You can make Preply work for you if you have teaching credentials and a teaching niche that allows you to charge more for your lessons. If you have little experience and can only offer general English, your earning potential will likely be capped at 25 USD. 

If you want to teach on a platform with lower commission rates, you can apply to become an English tutor at LanguaTalk , but it has a much more stringent selection process.

Similarly, you could become a professional tutor on iTalki, but again, you need credentials and experience. 

If you’re looking for a way to get certified, obtain teaching experience, and learn how to build your online tutoring business, I recommend CeOLT . 

Is Preply Legit ? 

If you’ve seen Preply all over the internet, it may be because the company has benefited from $100 million in funding from investors. 

Preply claims to offer the “world's largest selection of language tutors”. With over 32,000 teachers, that sounds about right. 

Preply offers one-to-one tutoring, group classes (for English only at the time of writing), and corporate language training. 

So it’s certainly a “legit” platform, even if some of its practices have been called into question. 

Preply Review: What’s Included In Preply For Teachers 

Preply offers many tools inside the platform to support online tutors, such as lesson materials and professional development. 

Although you can teach on that platform without experience or qualifications, the Preply teacher login portal offers some professional development tools. 

In the Preply Tutors Academy (hosted on Thinkific), you’ll find the following courses for tutors:

• How to create a profile that gets students
• 8 steps to an awesome first lesson
• Preply Classroom for your lessons
• Preply Methodology for English subject tutors

Preply Classroom is a video conferencing platform built directly into Preply’s website and app. You can share your screen, talk with your student using the chat function, and share documents. 

There’s a vocab flashcard tool that you can use in the lesson, and your students can continue to use it outside of classes. 

You’ll also find a library of courses to cover needs such as exam preparation, business English , grammar, speaking practice, and more. Courses include activities to use within the lesson as well as self-study activities. 

Be aware that when you agree to the Preply terms of service, you also agree to your lessons in the Preply Classroom being recorded occasionally! 

How Much Can You Earn On Preply? 

As mentioned above, according to Preply, English teachers typically charge 15 to 25 USD before commission. The company suggests starting at 12 USD to attract students and build your profile. 

But not everyone follows their advice. Here’s what my colleague Rachel Williams , a medical English teacher, did instead. Remember that Rachel has extensive teaching experience and used to be a nurse. 

She also prepares medical professionals for the Occupational English Test, a qualification that allows healthcare professionals to prove their English language abilities so they can work in English-speaking countries. 

I totally ignored Preply’s suggestion of setting a rate of 12 USD and initially started at 40 and then increased it to 55 USD. I have also had students at 80 USD. This means I probably don't get as many students as other people. But I don't want to teach 30 + students a week at 10 USD an hour. Because I teach a speciality, I benefit from 100% conversion from the trial lesson to paid lessons. But I know that is not the case for lots of teachers. I definitely wouldn't teach general English on Preply. I also teach 30-minute lessons and suggest this to all my students. My profile picture and heading clearly says Medical English and OET. I get some really interesting students – I have a psychiatrist at the moment preparing for her Royal College of Psychiatrists exams.  When I started, Preply didn't have a search function – which I complained about because no one could find me. Now they do, and I come up on the first page.  Rachel Williams, Medical English Teacher, fluentmedicalenglish.com

Rachel stands out on a platform where you can become a teacher with no experience or certificate because she has both qualifications and expertise. Her students are prepared to pay more as a result. 

The Preply Commission Structure 

Remember that no matter how much you charge as a Preply tutor, you must factor in the platform’s commission structure.

Here’s what that looks like: 

If you start teaching at 10 USD per hour, after commission, you’ll get 6.70 USD (excluding trials), which is not great. After 400 hours, this amount will go up to 8.20 USD. Still not great! 

You can withdraw your earnings from Preply whenever you want into your Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, or Skrill account. 

Be aware that these withdrawal methods will incur additional fees, along with any currency conversion from USD to your local currency. Only Wise enables you to receive money in your local currency. 

Can You Work Full-Time On Preply? 

On its website, Preply promises you a “steady stream of students”. Unfortunately, like many teaching platforms, the flexibility offered means that full-time hours are not guaranteed. 

According to Preply, 92% of its online English tutors work up to 20 hours per week , with only 6% working 20-30 hours per week. Unfortunately, they don’t break the statistics down further, so it’s hard to know the proportion of teachers doing only a handful of hours, as opposed to 10, 15, or 20. 

Also, while it can be great to teach as much or as little as you like, it takes time to build up your profile and reputation. You won’t have full-time hours out of the gate. 

As a teacher, you must also leave room in your schedule to plan lessons and do admin. So teaching 40 hours a week is both unlikely on Preply as well as unrealistic. 

And in fact, demand for tutoring on Preply fluctuates throughout the year, with a dip in the summer and more requirements in the autumn.

It’s probably best not to rely on Preply as your only source of income. You can diversify by offering lessons on multiple teaching platforms or finding your students online . 

The variation in demand is another reason why it’s so important to charge appropriate rates for your lessons. When you have a tutoring business, your rates need to cover many aspects of being self-employed, including periods when you have less work. 

Preply Review: Is It Worth It For Online English Teachers? 

Time to conclude this Preply review and ask, “Is Preply worth it for online teachers”? If you’re new to online teaching, you’ll probably be able to make more money on other online teaching platforms or working for online teaching companies . 

But if you know how to tutor in a specialised area of the English language and have a unique teaching style, then you may be able to earn more money on Preply.

There's a lot of competition at the 12 USD end of the market, but at the higher end in more specialised niches, competition is less fierce. 

It’s worth being aware that students often share negative Preply reviews about poor customer support or money not refunded. So there may be ethical decisions to consider before joining the platform. 

By the way, no matter the teaching marketplace you want to advertise on, getting qualified to teach and learning to teach specialised English will help you stand out. 

If you want to learn how to do that, then check out CeOLT .  

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The Complete Guide to Teaching Online with Preply

• January 12, 2020

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Teaching online is a great way to get out of the 9-5 and start working from home. However, many online tutors find that working for the larger online teaching companies limits their pay potential and doesn’t properly utilize their skills and experience. 

In this guide, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at Preply ⁠ — an online teaching platform that helps tutors and students connect online. Preply differs greatly from online teaching companies like VIPKid and DaDa and could be the right choice for dedicated and experienced teachers. 

About Preply 

Preply is described as an online education platform with the goal of pairing students and tutors together for online lessons. The company doesn’t take responsibility for arranging lessons and managing students’ curriculum. Instead, it uses an algorithm to help students connect with teachers that meet their requirements. 

For teachers, Preply is a place to advertise their services and make contact with students from all over the world. Preply helps teachers to market their services and even allows them to create personalized websites to advertise to students outside of the Preply platform. 

When teaching with Preply, teachers have control of just about everything. They can set their own rates of pay , teach their own lesson plans and use their own strategies to contact and secure students. 

Now that you have an idea of what kind of platform Preply is, let’s take a look at some of the finer details, like Preply’s teacher requirements and pay.

What are the requirements to teach for Preply?

One of the best things about Preply is that it is very open when it comes to the type of teachers they accept. Unlike a lot of popular online teaching companies, you don’t have to be a native English speaker and you aren’t required to have any sort of qualifications or a degree. 

However, as you will need to market yourself to students on this platform, and there are a lot of other teachers to compete with, and you may find that having some relevant qualifications or experience will help you to find more students. 

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There are lots of teachers on Preply that have college degrees, years of ESL experience and TEFL certificates , so the more qualifications and experience you have, the better.  Having more teaching experience and qualifications will also mean that you can set your hourly rate higher than less experienced teachers.

What does Preply pay?

When it comes to pay rates, it’s hard to say exactly how much teachers will earn as the company allows teachers to set their own rates. However, when you teach with Preply, a percentage of your chosen hourly rate will be paid in commission to the company. 

Teachers are at liberty to set their rates as high or as low as they want, but after taking a look at the platform, it seems that most teachers’ rates are around the $20 mark. Some teachers with a lot of experience or specific qualifications do set their rates higher, but you may find it hard to appeal to new students if your rates are too high. 

When setting your rate, it’s important to keep in mind the fees that Preply take. For the first lesson you teach with a student, Preply takes a 100% commission. This basically means that you won’t get paid for the first lesson you teach to any new student. If you convert the student successfully and they want to book more lessons, they will then be prompted to purchase lessons in bulk, and they will receive discounts if they book more lessons at one time. 

If the student books more lessons with you, the commission rates will then be lowered. Preply will then deducts anywhere between 18% and 33% of the total price. So, if you charge $25 per hour and Preply charges 33% commission, you’ll actually only receive $16.75. 

Because Preply only helps teachers connect with students there is no guarantee of bookings – it’s all up to the teacher to market themselves in order to secure students. However, building relationships with students takes time, so it’s worth factoring this in when choosing your hourly rate.

What is the interview process for Preply?

The interview process for Preply is quite simple, but it could take some time to get a response depending on the number of applications the company currently has.

Basically, all you need to do is sign up and begin creating a tutor profile on the Preply website. You’ll be asked to fill in details about your qualifications, teaching experience, and previous work experience. Once the details of the profile are complete, you can submit it to be reviewed by the Preply team. 

If your application is successful, you’ll be notified by email and you can then go back into your profile and add more details such as your availability and an introduction video. After this is completed, you’ll be able to start connecting with students. Students may book lessons with you if they discover your profile, or you can send personal messages to students that are searching for a tutor.

Once you’ve successfully connected with a student, you can start teaching and continue to search for more students to fill your schedule.

What it’s like teaching for Preply

Ok, so now you know exactly what to expect in terms of pay, let’s talk a little about what working for Preply is actually like. In this section, I’ll go into detail about important details like the Preply schedule, using the platform and the type of students you can expect to teach.

Preply Schedule

With Preply, you can basically work whenever you want. As long as you and your student are in agreement, you can book a lesson at any time. The times you choose to work will often depend on the location of the students that you are working with. Preply is an international platform so if you end up teaching a student on the other side of the world, you may have to amend your schedule to work out a time that suits both of you. 

You can list your availability on the Preply calendar so that students can see when you are available, and as soon as a lesson is booked, it will be shown in your calendar. If you arrange a lesson with a student over email you can also add the lesson time into your schedule manually.

Preply Platform and Lesson Planning 

Preply has a dedicated platform for delivering online lessons, but unlike most teaching companies, they do not provide comprehensive lesson plans or curriculum. It’s up to the teachers to plan and organize lessons based on the needs of their students. However, there are some basic materials available on the platform for teachers to use. 

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Although lesson planning can sometimes be a lot of work, some teachers much prefer this as it means that they can have control over what they teach, and deliver lessons that will help their students to progress quickly.

Preply Students

Preply students are mostly adults, so if you’re interested in delivering more advanced lessons to older students, this could be the right platform for you. Although most of the students on Preply are adults wishing to learn languages, there are some children and university students using the platform, too. Since it’s up to you which students you teach, you have control over the age of students that you choose to work with.

Preply Reviews

When it comes to reviews for Preply, it really is a mixed bag. On Glassdoor, Preply gets a score of 3.7 out of 5 . 

When I first started looking into reviews of Preply, I expected to see some negativity due to the high commission rates the company charges. A lot of teachers agree that the 100% commission on the first lesson can be unfair for teachers. 

One reviewer wrote: “Some students do the trial lesson, but they were never planning to do another lesson with the teacher”.

This means that some tutors work quite a lot of hours without pay.

However, despite this issue, it seems that a lot of people are still quite happy with the flexibility and control that this platform allows teachers.

In regards to the commission structure, one teacher suggested: “Charge the price you wish and add 33% more to that since Preply takes a percentage. It’s not a bad gig and I’m sure there are people who work more than I do. I Enjoy having adult students to teach since that keeps me on my toes!”

It seems to me that teachers that perform well in trial lessons and are willing to put in extra effort to build relationships with students have an overwhelmingly positive experience working on Preply, but the structure may be unfair to new or less experienced teachers.

Resources & FAQs

If you’re interested in learning more about Preply, their website has a pretty extensive Tutor FAQ section that might help you to find the answers you’re looking for. If not, leave a comment and we might be able to help you out. 

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about Preply:

Can you teach without a degree? 

Yes, you can teach without a degree on Preply. However, having lots of qualifications can help you to land students and earn higher rates.

Do you have to be a native speaker? 

No. Although English is one of the subjects that is available on Preply, you can teach a number of different languages and other academic subjects, so being a native English speaker is not a requirement

Do you need a TEFL? 

No. Preply teachers are not required to hold a TEFL certificate, but it can be a good way of setting yourself apart from other teachers on the platform

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My experience of Teaching on Preply

My experience of teaching as a preply tutor.

Picture the scene: you’re sitting on a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap. You’ve just spent the best part of a month island hopping in the Andaman Sea and you already know there’s no way you can go home, back to the 9–5. Well, that was me a year or so ago.

Hollie and I were at a crossroads in our lives. We knew what we wanted (the digital nomad lifestyle), but we had no idea how to get it. That’s where Preply came in. Somewhere along that bus journey, as the Thai and Cambodian countryside rolled past the window, a thought occurred to me: I could teach English!

Fast-forward 18 months and plenty of ups and downs. I’ve now been a Preply tutor for over a year, having amassed more than 1,000 hours of lessons on the platform. I’m writing this today in the hope that someone else out there who can’t bring themselves to give up the backpack reads this and realises that it is possible to break into the digital nomad life without prior experience.

What Is Preply?

Preply is an online language education platform that pairs students with tutors via an online chat. In other words, it’s somewhere to either learn or improve your language skills or, like me, become a language tutor.

The platform offers a large range of languages to teach or study and works by giving students the option to select a potential tutor from a list, where they can view tutor statistics such as price per hour, availability and rating, as well as a short video where tutors can vocalise some of their interests or describe their teaching experience.

Tutors can set their own hourly rates and availability which really allows you to be your own boss, and while there are certainly downsides to working as a Preply tutor (more on that later), all in all it’s been a positive experience that I am happy to share.

Why Did I Become A Preply Tutor?

As long-time readers or followers of WMJG will know, Hollie and I fell in love with travel. That’s really the main reason I chose to teach English online.

Somewhere along our six-month trip (cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic), we both realised that there was no way we could go back to our old lives and corporate jobs. We quickly set about trying to work out how we could sustainably make money whilst travelling or living abroad and, for me, teaching English was the answer.

For a little context, I had no prior experience of actual teaching. I studied biochemistry at university and I had worked in chemical sales prior to travelling, but I felt that while my remote working options were limited, teaching English was something I could feasibly do.

Not only did English tutoring offer the flexibility I desired, but it also didn’t require me to undergo any further training and I could start earning money right away.

Critically, I think I also understood the dedication and commitment required to become a teacher, having watched several family members enjoy successful careers in the field, and I just hoped my own English skills and knowledge were up to the task!

Why I Chose Preply

Like most things in life, convenience and necessity played a big role in Preply becoming my teaching platform of choice.

Preply was one of the few platforms that didn’t require any teaching qualifications. In fact, the only prerequisites were a degree and a verification process of my profile to ensure that I was, in fact, a native English speaker.

This was perfect for me because, although I considered myself a competent and confident English speaker, I had no prior experience or qualifications in teaching. The application process was very straightforward and I was working within a matter of days!

There were other options, of course. Other websites and platforms that I looked into. This, I hope to discuss in a future article to help out any other would-be teaching freelancers. However, Preply had such a fast response time in accepting me as one of their tutors that I was left with little option but to forget about the other platforms and crack on with Preply!

Starting Up As A Preply Tutor And Finding Students

Getting started on Preply is a relatively easy affair, the application process is straightforward, with the only major hurdle being the making of a video for students to view as they search for tutors.

Once you’ve got that out of the way and you’re accepted as a Preply tutor, you need to set up your profile. This mainly involves setting your hourly rate and your weekly availability, making your profile look attractive to students and preparing yourself for your new job!

Setting Your Rate

A Preply Tutor can set their own hourly rate and, unbeknownst to me, I had accidentally set my price to $5 per hour. This is an incredibly low rate and a completely unsustainable way of working in online tutoring, but boy is it an effective way of finding students. I had wall-to-wall lessons on my first day!

However, for the more sensible of you out there looking to get into Preply tutoring, I would urge you to keep your prices (and your dignity) a little higher.

You can adjust your prices in the future but existing students will remain at their original price unless they confirm that change with you, which can lead to some awkward conversations! Do some market research on active tutors on the site and see what they are charging before setting your own rate.

Attracting new students

Once your rate is set you are at the mercy of Preply’s algorithm. This ranks tutors on a variety of factors so that when potential students search for a tutor of their desired language, the best available tutors show up on the results page.

A good profile score goes a long way to looking attractive to both students and Preply. It is bolstered by things such as favourable reviews and a good attendance record. But the other key variable to boosting your way up the tutor list is to have good availability. An open calendar with plenty of empty slots means you’ll shoot up the list and have plenty of students getting in contact with you.

If you do these things right you won’t struggle to attract students!

Finding students yourself

There is, in fact another way to gain students, although one I have not had a huge amount of luck in. There is a ‘Find Students’ button on the Preply dashboard, which takes you to a page not dissimilar to Hollie’s Upwork page , where students can post listings and tutors can apply and submit a proposal for the job.

These postings are fairly infrequent, however, and seem to be snatched upon by every tutor under the sun. The vast majority of times I have tried to apply I’ve been unable to as the job had already reached the limit of applicants.

Preply’s Commission Structure

One thing every potential Preply tutor needs to be aware of is the commission structure. This is a common bug-bear for tutors on online forums about the platform.

The basic principle is simple: the more you teach, the less you pay in commission.

When you first start tutoring on Preply you pay a rate of 33% commission, once you’ve taught 20 hours of lessons, this rate drops to 28%. This percentage continues to fall as you continue to rack up tutoring hours until you hit 400 hours of teaching and the rate remains flat at 18% commission.

And therein lies the problem. Although 400 hours sounds like a far-off achievement, you’d be surprised how quickly you’ll reach that milestone. I personally have now taught over 1,000 hours on Preply and am still paying 18% commission on every lesson.

I understand the need for Preply to make money and, in fairness, they do re-invest that money into the business, constantly churning out new features and teaching materials, but 18% is still a higher rate than most of their competitors.

That said, the 18% commission cap is not the worst thing about the commission system…

Preply offers something to students called ‘trial lessons’. This is where a student can book a lesson with a potential Preply tutor to see if they are a good fit. This is a one off lesson with no commitment for future lesson bookings. Sounds good so far. The problem is that every trial lesson is set at 100% commission, meaning the student has to pay for their lesson and the tutor receives nothing in return for an hour’s work.

This inevitably leads to tutors having to charge more per hour in order to make a sustainable living through Preply.

Things I Like About Preply

• Preply has very swift and efficient tech support. I have rarely had trouble getting in contact with anyone and they always seem willing to help. You really get the sense that they are on the tutors’ side for a lot of issues.
• With my personal teaching style I don’t tend to lean on Preply’s teaching materials a lot, but they are an excellent crutch when I find the conversation just isn’t flowing. There is a constantly updated bank of conversation starters and exercises which some students absolutely love. It is nice to see the commission fees properly invested!

Things I Don’t Like About Preply

• I mentioned earlier in the ‘Starting Up’ section that availability plays a big role in your tutor ranking. This can be somewhat unfair as it means I’m never quite able to fill my calendar out. I can be 2 or 3 regular students off a perfect roster and then suddenly I have no new student enquiries unless I massively extend my working hours.
• Preply’s own video platform can be a little temperamental which can be a pain when dealing with new students. Luckily Preply is happy for you to move the lesson over to Skype or Zoom so it is not too much of an issue.
• The commission system and the unpaid lessons (see above before I start ranting again).

My Experience As A Preply Tutor: Summing Up

So what is it like teaching as a Preply tutor?

In short, it’s great. It’s easy and straightforward, it’s amazing being my own boss and controlling my own rate and hours. However, as with any job or career, there are little quirks and nuances that are worth knowing about if you’re considering teaching on Preply.

Hopefully I’ve been able to shine a light on some of the pitfalls as well as guide would-be tutors through the early stages of becoming a tutor on Preply.

Hollie and I are passionate about working online and working remotely, and I know a lot of other people out there are too. Teaching English was definitely the right decision for me and it might be for you. If you have any questions about teaching online, please feel free to send me a message in the comments below or on Instagram  @wemightjustgo .

18 thoughts on “ My experience of teaching as a Preply tutor ”

Hello Nick and Hollie

Thanks for this article. I desire to work as a Preply English Tutor. Do I send the video first before completing my profile of 10 pages?

Thank you for sharing your experience working with Preply. I am curious to find out whether this platform offers a lesson teaching material. If not, what type of curriculum do you prepare for your students and how much time does it require? Thank you in advance.

Thanks so much for your sharing your experience with Preply. I really found it insightful. I am a newbie on preply and I have struggled to have even a student so far. Having read through your experience here, I think I should be able to navigate my way. However, I feel like an undoing from my end is the aspect where I selected C2 as my English competence level. Probably I am wrong, what do you say to that?

Hi Nick, hey thanks for this! I started on Preply 2021 because I was stuck in a foreign country with no income. I started at $7 and after several months I had to find a way to raise that, at which point I found out it was up to me to give myself a raise the entire time! Anyways, I quickly went higher and higher. I quit for a year or so and just started up again and it is going well. I guess I started my rate too high and so I took a couple of bucks off and now the students come. I am also a voice coach and I make good money doing that but it is so slow since the pandemic, so I started to teach English again on Preply, even though it is so much less money than I make as a voice coach, I really love meeting people from around the world! I make up my own lessons and have never used anything inside the site except for the calendar and the video camera. Once again it is kind of saving me, so I can travel and live wherever I want and as I am also an artist, it gives me the freedom to paint. All the best, dolli

Hi, I found your review of Preppy really interesting as I am just about to start tutoring on there! I just had one question…you said you started while travelling – did you mostly do conversation based classes, then, or did you somehow find lots of teaching materials online? Best wishes!

Hi Jack, it was all mostly conversation based. But I did manage to find one or two teaching materials online and shared my screen while we worked through worksheets and exercises. With enough googling you can usually find anything you need!

Hi, Nick. Thank you for the awesome post. 3 questions: 1) what is your current rate 2) how long is a lesson 3) what ages do you mostly teach? Any kids 4-12?

Hello Nick, i have a couple of questions. Before i ask, i would like to say that i appreciate your review of Preply, and it has intrigued my interest in pursuing the occupation of becoming an online English teacher. I am curious of how the payment process work, and how it gets deposited? I too am a fellow traveler of the world, and my current location is also outside of my home country. I am willing to start at 30-40hours per week, do you have any recommendations on how i should start? Thank you for your attention to my reply, i look foward on hearing back. As always, safe travels sir!

Thanks for this review. I am having some problems with my current teaching platform and I’m looking for options. So this is very helpful. What happens if you have a full day of just trial classes? Do you work an entire day without pay?

Hi I want to start teaching English online ,but I have no experience. I’m a banker by profession. I live in South Africa and I am an English native speaker. I do not have a TEFL certificate. I have been looking at Preply as a place to start my career as an English tutor. What advice do you have for me? How does the salary/payment rate work?

Hi Nick thanks for your very interesting review of preply. I would be interested in your thoughts on how students would respond if you, as a tutor of the English language, come from a nation (such as Srilanka or Bhutan) where the citizens are non native speakers of the English language. I’d also love to hear your thoughts on whether payments could really be processed to tutors from these nations.

Hi I had always wanted to teach online but I have no prior experience. I want to teach online at preply to earn extra money for myself but I don’t know I to start. I would want to know your thoughts on this. Thanks!

Good afternoon, I absolutely loved your down-to-earth review. I am starting my full-time tutoring journey this year and battling to get started on the online platforms. May I ask how you go about adding extra subjects to Preply? I see that once I’ve added English, there are no ways to add my multiple subjects. Thanks for the assistance and wonderful help you are providing. Jacqui

Hey! I found your review super helpful! I am wanting to go abroad to study Spanish (beginner) and I want to teach English online to earn some money in the meantime, however despite working in a Special needs school, I have no experience teaching English! My question to you is, how can I feel prepared, will that still be okay to apply to teach?

Hi Nick, I’m just about to start teaching English with Preply Tutors and I found the content of your write up on Preply Tutors so insightful & encouraging. I hope to reach get in touch with you as I climb up the ladder with Preply Tutors. Thanks.

This is such a RIPP OFF!!!! Go to Italki! I love teaching there! The do NOT take 100% commission with a trial lesson but 0%! You make them a bit cheaper, but do NOT HAVE TO offer them at all but when you do and they are a bit cheaper, it’s fair to not take commission. They are fair and nice!

I am condsidering online teaching. I just want to know if any kind of computer would be suffice? Is the curriculum easy to follow and to teach? I am a qualified foundation phase teacher and totally new to online teaching!

Many Thanks Tanya

I’m curious what would you say is a good benchmark to aim for with conversion from trial lessons to bookings on Preply?

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My Experience As An Upwork Freelancer: The Story So Far

We’re two travel-obsessed twenty-somethings from the UK who gave up our old 9 to 5 lifestyle for something much better. In early 2020 (yep, right at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic), right off the back of a six-month backpacking trip, we decided to become location-independent and set up our own businesses. The digital nomad lifestyle was calling to us! We travel slowly, working as we go and really getting to know the places we live. So if you’re looking for location guides that are authentic, insightful and unique, you’ve come to the right place. On our site, you’ll find lovingly curated destination guides, travel and backpacking advice, lifestyle articles and tips on becoming a digital nomad. Let us inspire you to embark on the journey of a lifetime or just live life a little differently. Enjoy! Nick and Hollie

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Preply Tutoring Review: How to become a Preply Tutor

Updated: September 12, 2023

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Looking for a flexible company where you can teach online with no experience and without a degree? Preply tutoring might be a good fit for you!

I recently learned about Preply from a friend who wanted to teach but didn’t have formal credentials. She made a Preply tutor account and has been teaching online ever since! After hearing her positive Preply review, I decided to do a bit of research and put together this post in case you’d like to give them a try too!

If you want to teach online for a company with no nationality requirements, no degree requirements, and no experience needed, Preply might be a good fit for you.

About Preply

Preply is an online teaching marketplace. With over 100,000 students per year around the globe, Preply prides itself on connecting people in a supportive learning environment. While most people use Preply for learning languages, you can actually choose to teach or study a number of subjects.

Preply tutors can offer lessons in any language in which they are native or fluent. Tutors can also offer lessons in subjects like chemistry, math, art, and music.

Teachers make a profile on the Preply website and students on the platform can browse through potential tutors. Students can find you based on your price, previous student reviews, bio information, and availability.

If a student likes your profile, they can book a lesson or package of lessons with you. You’ll be able to work out all the details on the Preply platform and then have a video call with your new student.

What Do Preply Tutoring Lessons Look Like

The default lesson time for your first lesson with a new student is one hour. Students pay for packages in 5, 10, 15, or 20 hours, so it makes sense to offer classes in hour increments.

Preply lessons are taught through Skype. You’ll be able to communicate with your student on the Preply platform before the lesson start time to find out what they are interested in learning about. This allows you to prepare materials in advance or send them pre-work materials.

Teachers on Preply are responsible for creating their own lesson materials to suit the needs and levels of their students.

See available English tutoring jobs now!

What are the Preply Hours

Preply students and teachers come from all over the world, so the platform is available for teaching 24/7. You can choose when you want to teach and students can book your available time slots.

Preply Requirements For Teachers

Now that we’ve covered how Preply works, you might be wondering about the Preply requirements. This section will cover what qualifications a teacher needs to be hired and the recommended technology.

Preply Tutor Requirements

In order to become a Preply Tutor, you must be a fluent or native speaker in the language you wish to teach. Multiple teaching languages are available and it is also possible to teach a subject that isn’t a language at all, like math, economics, or literature.

Experience teaching or tutoring is not one of the Preply tutor requirements. That being said, having relevant experiences will help make your profile stand out to potential students. Remember that students will be browsing through hundreds of tutors on the platform, so you want to do everything you can to make your profile shine.

Technical Requirements to teach with Preply

Preply lessons are taught through Skype. You’ll need to have a reliable internet connection and a professional, quiet work environment where you can conduct lessons. Because these are video lessons, teachers must have a webcam. A headset with a microphone is preferred for better sound quality.

How much does Preply Pay?

Preply tutors set their own pay rates. On average, tutors charge around $20 per hour, but it is up to you to set a rate that you see fit. I was browsing through tutor profiles while writing this post and I saw English teachers charging anywhere from $10 – $40 USD per hour.

The Preply platform is free to use, but it comes with a slight catch. Preply takes 100% of the lesson fee for each lesson you teach with a new student.

After that initial lesson, Preply will keep between 33%-18% of the lesson fee as commission. This number goes down the more you teach on the platform. Because Preply will be keeping a cut, make sure to build this into your pricing.

Tutors can receive their money when they choose by clicking the “Withdrawal Money” button in their account. Payments are made via Payoneer, Paypal, or Skrill.

How to Become a Preply Tutor

Signing up to be a Preply Tutor is easy! Follow the steps below and make sure to provide all the information requested as you make your Preply account. Otherwise, your account might be denied without explanation.

• First, make a Preply tutor account by signing up here
• Add a video introduction and information about your teaching experience and background
• Add a profile photo and update your availability to teach
• Make sure to fill in all the requested information completely!
• Submit and wait for approval

Preply Review: Pros and Cons

Best parts about preply.

I really like how Preply presents an opportunity for teachers on opposite sides of the teaching spectrum. First, this can be a great introductory teaching website where you can get your foot in the door. They don’t have strict signup requirements, which means you can get some experience under your belt in Preply. If other companies haven’t given you a chance to show your skills, Preply could be the answer.

But Preply is also a solid option for teachers who have lots of experience and feel like they are undervalued on platforms that set their hourly rate. Here, your experience could mean a much higher pay rate and more flexibility.

Additionally, I absolutely love that you can teach multiple subjects on Preply! Whether you want to teach English, another language, or another topic entirely, you have that freedom with this platform.

Downsides of Preply

One of the biggest downsides of Preply is that they take 100% of your lesson fee for your first session with a new student. That’s a bummer because it could mean that you teach a lot of lessons for free. While I understand why they take some commission because you get to use the platform for free, 100% seems like a lot.

Second, Preply is really designed for teachers who are prepared to market themselves. You have to spend time making an appealing teacher video and thoughtfully writing your bio so you stand out to students. You’ll also need to respond to student inquiries in a timely manner and prepare thoughtful lesson materials.

Basically, you won’t be matched with students by the platform – acquiring paying clients falls on the teacher.

Who is Preply Best for?

Preply is an interesting platform because of how flexible it is. With very few application and hiring restrictions, you have a good chance of getting approved to teach. But on the flip side, you also have to compete with a lot of experienced educators.

All things considered, Preply is the best bet for those who want a “hands-off” online teaching company. If you want to handle your own lesson planning, set your own price, work your own schedule, and market yourself to students independently, this is a great place to do that.

You won’t receive many teacher resources or trainings, but you will have access to a well-organized platform that will take care of payments, help with scheduling, and give you access to an eager pool of students.

Preply is great for new teachers who are just starting out and need a platform with fewer barriers to entry. It’s also an awesome option for established teachers who want to set higher rates than they can make on a traditional online ESL platform like VIPKID .

Finally, Preply is a great choice if you teach something other than English. With a wide array of languages and other topics like math, design, and art, there’s no end to where you could go as a teacher.

Looking for more websites to teach online?

Check out these company reviews to learn more about the world of online English teaching !

• 12 Companies where you can teach online without a degree: No degree? No problem! Check out these awesome companies and marketplaces
• 8 Companies where you can teach online as a non-native speaker
• iTalki Teacher Review: Teach adults online, open to multiple languages
• Cambly Teacher Review: An awesome conversation platform with adult students around the world
• Outschool Teacher Review: Teach other subjects to English-speaking children! Create your own lessons about whatever topic you’re passionate about!

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