How to Choose a Good Online English Teacher: A Complete Guide 2026

Getting a native-level, experienced, and certified English teacher is the first step to improving your language learning. 

We know there are many options available if you want to study online, so it's important to keep in mind some basic criteria for choosing the best teacher and Learning English quickly. 

What qualities should a good English teacher have?

Our experts in Papora undertook the task of evaluating the criteria you should consider when choosing the best online English teachers:

Native or bilingual proficiency in the language

• A good teacher should be a native speaker from an English-speaking country, so that they can teach you authentic English expressions and show you the correct pronunciation of words.
• You can often receive quite good service from a certified teacher with an advanced C2 level.
• Their high level ensures that they have a broad vocabulary and can explain the cultural subtleties of the language to you.

Communication and empathy skills

• You must be able to convey information clearly and accurately, using accessible and understandable language.
• Empathy with students plays an essential role. If a teacher is empathetic, they will understand your difficulties and provide you with support as many times as necessary until you understand each topic.

Adaptable methodology 

• A teacher should be able to modify their lessons to suit the needs and objectives of the group.
• The teacher should have a variety of teaching resources and activities to keep the class dynamic and entertaining.

Feedback and follow-up 

• The best teachers will always be those who genuinely care about their students, offering practical advice and constructive feedback.
• The teacher must be able to follow up on any questions or problems a student may have with a particular topic, offering additional activities for practice if necessary.

Ideal experience, certificates, and credentials for an English teacher.

✅ In addition to teaching-focused skills, a good English teacher also needs to meet certain formal requirements. 

✅ Look for teachers with years of teaching experience, especially in the online field.

✅ It is ideal that they have also worked with groups of various ages, as this demonstrates that they can adapt to the profiles of different students. 

✅ In terms of certification, some stand out such as CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). 

✅ If you are not a native speaker, it is important that you have a certificate that proves your advanced C1 or C2 level.

This will give you a guarantee that the teacher is prepared to transmit their knowledge smoothly.

Teaching methodology: Which online approach works best?  

What is the best strategy for teaching English grammar? There are many techniques that an experienced English teacher can use to help you learn through online classes:

Communicative approach 

One of the most important skills in English is the ability to speak confidently in any situation. That's why you need your teacher to focus their lessons on developing your pronunciation.

To do this, you need to create activities that encourage conversation and interaction on everyday topics and topics of interest. This will strengthen your knowledge of English and help you overcome your fear of speaking.

Flipped Classroom 

This is a relatively new concept, but one that offers good results. It consists of guiding students to study certain topics of interest before class, whether through videos, readings, or special activities.

The idea is for students to prepare beforehand so that during class, they can make the most of their time practicing, asking questions, and interacting more with the teacher. This optimizes time as much as possible and makes the most of technology.

Personalized lessons

Ideally, English classes should be held in small groups so that the teacher can assess each student's abilities and adapt to them, creating more effective lessons.

The teacher can assign specific exercises, recommend materials, and tailor lessons to students' individual strengths and weaknesses, encouraging their motivation to learn.

Prices and options: Evaluate the value for money

It's not about getting the cheapest service, but evaluating its value for money to ensure that your investment is worthwhile. Here is the table you need to analyze it:

Common mistakes when choosing an online English teacher

Have you ever wondered how many people will speak English worldwide in 2025? And how many of them will offer language classes? It's surprising how many teachers you can find nowadays.

If you're not careful, you may end up choosing a teacher who isn't right for you, especially when you make these mistakes:

❌ You don't have a clear goal about what you want to achieve with English.

❌ You prioritize cost, choosing the cheapest teachers without checking their experience.

❌ You don't check if the teacher has any teaching certificates. 

❌ Do not ask for any kind of proof to verify the teacher's methodology.

❌ Ignore reviews and testimonials from previous users.

The most qualified educators are in Papora.

Avoiding all these mistakes when choosing an English teacher is very easy, as you only need to register with Papora.

The online platform offers you unlimited classes per month with native-level teachers, all of whom have years of teaching experience, are certified, and are eager to help you.

With Papora, you will receive: 

✅Dynamic and fun classes, full of activities on everyday topics from A1 to C1.

✅ A unique communicative approach where you can speak freely from day one.

✅ Flexible schedules and competitive pricing for online classes.

Frequently asked questions about online English teachers