Gaining trust from your online ESL students

So, how do you get online English students to trust you? This is not an easy task. To gain trust in anyone comes with patience, a willingness to show your true intentions, and by being consistent in your purpose to teach. In the online world, this is a challenge because there are millions of people saying and doing the same thing. How can students trust Teacher 1 versus Teacher 2? Majority of us online teachers have a website, a social media presence, and are offering something that will benefit our students, such as an e-book or video training series. Whether an online teacher is offering a service or a product, it is usually the same gimmick, come to me and I will help you learn English. However, to a student that sounds like, OK, sounds good but I don’t know you. How do I know you are who you say you are?

As a new online English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, I am still trying to figure out the how in gaining students’ trust. How does any online English teacher stand out from the crowd? I have seen many websites, offers, and products that looks interesting, but it’s the same pattern…come to me and I will help you learn English. Some go as far as saying they can guarantee English fluency within a short amount of time. In my opinion, I think that’s bogus. It takes time to gain fluency in any language, and if not practiced regularly it is difficult to achieve this goal. I prefer to be honest.

I believe to gain trust from your online English students is by being yourself. Don’t be a copycat and mimic the same sales pitch as other teachers. Be unique. I work with adult students and one of the things they like is transparency. They don’t like to be treated as babies. They want teachers who take teaching English seriously, and are honest about their intentions. You don’t have to be the best teacher, but an honest teacher have a better chance to be successful than a short-lived gimmick.

Having a purpose for wanting to teach is important. That purpose should communicate to students through your website, videos, advertisements, or on social media. Students will appreciate this, and will eventually feel comfortable enough to listen to what you have to say. Once you meet your new students, you can show them the kind of teacher you are, the lessons you are offering, and the value behind your English service or product. This may not gain their trust right away, but it’s a good start. When students trust their teacher, they are more willing to learn from that teacher. Once they see the value in your offer, see your personality and your intentions, students will feel comfortable to give you (your product or service) a try.