Tech and The Future of English Tutoring

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Last Saturday morning as I lay in bed slightly worse for wear, I began scrolling through the internet on my phone reading up on the latest developments worldwide. I somehow managed to stumble upon the story of Lucy Earl stuffed between the latest Trump idiocy and analysis of Theresa May’s ‘strong and stable’ snap election decision.

Lucy is 22-year-old who is managing to earn £30k a year by from her vlog on Youtube. That might not surprise many reading, especially as other vloggers are reported to be earning significantly more money, Casey Neistat for example. However, what is surprising is that Lucy is doing it by while teaching the world about the oddities of the English language.

This story got me thinking about the future of my career in English tutoring. 

Tech in Teaching

While teaching virtually via the internet is not a new phenomenon, we are beginning to see new and innovative ways of using it. Previously the main forms of exploiting online media would have been set classes in a virtual classroom mimicking the real world. While an excellent method, it was very dependent on both the quality of the teacher and personal equipment.

The advancement of technology in our social lives is really allowing for tutors to take advantage of how learning resources can be consumed. With the quality of camera phones and 4G internet, we are now able to have Skype lessons on the go, which is a very personalised and intimate approach, compared to uploading a video to YouTube for anyone in the world to see. 

The British Council produced an informative blog about how to become an online teacher a couple of years ago, touching on YouTube. They talked more about using the medium to present your work to paying students, as opposed as to a way of making money off advertisement. Will this mean we see more attractive content taught, as opposed to ‘boring’ essentials? 

Non-Traditional Teachers?

Lucy suggests that ‘we do not need teachers anymore’ and that everything we need is at our disposal online, be that via forums or video platforms. Although I was relieved to hear that she had obtained her TEFL certification, providing some academic rigour to her teachings before becoming a social media star. 

There is no doubt that Lucy comes across as a knowledgeable, caring and charismatic person. This combination makes for an excellent engaging teacher. Although my worry, as with all online bloggers and vloggers, is that they are very aware of social trends. Will we now see vloggers attempting to muscle in on established education industries, without the qualification or knowledge in an attempt to score a quick bit of money?

The Future

Huffington Post summed it up best by suggesting that there will always be different needs for different people. So, at a basic level this latest development of vloggers joining the industry, is good. After all the reason, I'm considering a career in English tutoring is to help as many people as possible achieve their goal of becoming fluent in English. Any new method that allows this to happen should be welcomed.

However, my concern would be that some people might think about getting into the industry for the wrong reasons. The amount of money and lifestyle suggested by Lucy, might convince others that this is their avenue to becoming a social media star. These are the people we do not need in the industry. 

Only time will tell.