| User | Thread poster: vieleFragen Anyone done tutoring before? |
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vieleFragen
Germany
English
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Hello,
I used to be a tutor for French and it paid quite well (for a college student, of course!). At an agency, I would have gotten 15 Euros per 60 minutes. If you have some more credentials (maybe a degree in languages) and don't have to rely on agency work, you can probably earn higher fees (obviously). I read a comment somewhere of somebody charging 30 Euros per 45 minutes. I don't know how hard it is to earn a higher fee doing that, but it doesn't seem impossible.
I don't think this would make anyone rich, of course, but tutoring (if you do it regularly and have good materials at hand) seems like a nice job, that would also bring in some variety from translation.
Of course, youd have to speak the right language (French in germany for example) and be good at explaining stuff and be good with people.
The problem for most people might be that students only have time in the afternoon (unless you like to sleep as long as myself  ). Seriously, though are any of you translators doing something like that on the side?
 
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Henry Hinds 
United States
English to Spanish
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Many years ago when I was living close to my university campus but not enrolled and working a late afternoon and evening job I would do some tutoring. I would find a break that students had between classes and meet them anywhere, usually under a tree. Well, that was where Socrates held forth, right?
I would charge US $5.00 per hour, but that was like 38 years ago. The fees you mention should be feasible today.
I would pick up students to tutor from instructors at the U.
But now that I translate, I find it more lucrative than tutoring or teaching classes. Plus I no longer live close to the U.
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Kevin Fulton
United States
German to English
| | Good break from translating | Jul 16 |
I teach language classes at businesses from time to time. If not done for an agency, it can be quite a lucrative sideline to translating (I teach either early in the morning or late in the afternoon so it doesn't interfere with my translating). It's a good change of pace, and in almost every instance has led to well-paid translation work. I strongly recommend it to people who don't have many opportunities to mingle with other people during the working day.
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Alicia Casal
Argentina
 Member (2005)
English to Spanish
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But like Henry, I find more lucrative translating, with the exception of:
Legal English Certificate Courses: I only have two lawyers at the moment.
A.
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Vanda Nissen
Sweden
Member (Feb 2008)
English to Russian
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I am teaching Russian as a foreign language online and sometimes I teach executives in Denmark. I like working online because I do not have to spend time on travelling.
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vieleFragen
Germany
English
| | what kind of certification/degree? | Jul 16 |
thanks for the replies @everyone
Can anybody (maybe you Kevin) tell me what kind of certification/degree one would need to be a language instructor? Is there any need for a degree such as "teaching" or is a degree in translation/interpreting and practical experience in teaching languages the way to go?
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Shannon Jimenez
United States
Spanish to English
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I enjoy teaching and live in a university town, so I do quite a bit of tutoring on the side. The going rate in my town is $30-$50/hr., which isn't too bad, and students come to me (I tutor out of my home). I also scratch my teaching itch by periodically teaching a course on scientific writing to advanced ESL students at an intensive English program run by the university.
~Shannon
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vieleFragen
Germany
English
| | high school or college students? | Jul 17 |
Shannon, do you teach how to speak the language or basic tutoring? I'm surprised you say there's a high demand, because you live in an university town. Do college students come to you who need help with the language? Over here, it seems, it's mostly high school students who struggle in English or French.
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Vanda Nissen
Sweden
Member (Feb 2008)
English to Russian
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| | better to have a degree in teaching | Jul 17 |
vieleFragen wrote:
Can anybody (maybe you Kevin) tell me what kind of certification/degree one would need to be a language instructor? Is there any need for a degree such as "teaching" or is a degree in translation/interpreting and practical experience in teaching languages the way to go? |
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It is better to have a degree in teaching if you want to be hired by serious agencies and/or high schools (Universities). Some knowledge of the teaching methodology, material selection criteria etc can be quite useful.
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Birthe Omark
Denmark
Member (2006)
French to Danish
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| | Teaching independantly or through a language institute .. | Jul 17 |
I love teaching, and do it between the translation at a ration of maybe 1:3(4) - in the summer the teaching business is slack, but then there is the tranlation.
For me, alternating between the two works well, and I can feed from one activity to the other.
If you go throgh a 'school' you are spared the marketing, the canvassing for customers, rooms .. and you will often have access to material, copying etc... However, some of them take a very good share for their expensive overheads, leaving you with just a meanable hourly rate. But this can be worth while.
You can also chose to try an find your customers direct - and again use the synergy there is in translating & teaching locally. Often businesses with a need for translation also have a need to improve/maintain the foreign languages at staff level. This way, you can charge a much higher price - but you also have to take into account, that it is your job to do the research and to find, purchase, prepare teaching material.
It's a balacing act.
As for the hourly rate - the global variations are so big that it does not make sense to discuss them here in detail.
Remember though that a language worker is rarely rated in the higher levels such as the formidable 'computer men' another thread has recently been discussing !
Good luck. And have fun with what you do. That's the main thing.
Birthe
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Bin Tiede
Germany
Member (Apr 2008)
German to Chinese
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| | Useful information for language teachers in Germany | Jul 17 |
If you look for teaching jobs in Germany, try these 2 institutions:
1. Volkshochschule: People's College. They pay 18,50 Euro per 45 minutes for new language teachers. After 5 years at VHS, and if you have acquired a teaching certificate at the VHS, they pay 22,50 Euro per 45 minutes. The remuneration at the VHS is tax free, given you earn less than 2100 Euro for tutoring per year.
2. Industrie- und Handelskammer. They pay really well. In my region it is 29 Euro per 45 minutes. Besides, you can earn some end-clients for translation through language teaching.
Best,
Bin
[Edited at 2008-07-17 14:05]
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The translation workplace 
