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Private lessons represent one of the most effective ways for ESL/EFL teachers to supplement their income. And for good reason. - They are available just about everywhere - They generally pay more - often significantly more - than regular lessons - They are generally cash-in-hand jobs, which provide an instant source of income. Not only that: if you're good, word will spread like wildfire. Before you know it, you could have half the town calling you up for lessons. But it's not always quite that simple. For one thing, you are likely to be in fierce competition with the rest of the resident native English-speaking population. For another, obtaining private lessons often requires at least a basic knowledge of the learner's mother tongue. A few tips to help you find those well-paying, income-supplementing 'privates': 1. Get some business cards printed Card-printing machines at many major airports and train stations will do it for you. And cheaply. But be careful what you print and remember: you want to stick out in the crowd. Qualifications, if they are relevant, should be mentioned. Many cultures pay more attention to letters after names than others, but wherever you go the abbreviations BA, BEd, MA, PhD etc should count for something. So should words like 'EXPERT' 'PROFESSIONAL' and QUALITY. Use these words judiciously, but include them all the same. [Female teachers may - or may not - prefer to omit any reference to their gender.] An effective business card might look something like this:
2. Advertise on noticeboards. Eg, - The British Council - Universities - Schools - Bakeries - Supermarkets - Bookshops - Other Anglo-Saxon cultural institutions (libraries, etc) 3. Advertise in free papers Most big cities have at least one. 4. Leave business cards at the reception desk of professional companies You never know who might pick one up. Do not 1. Sell yourself cheap. Just because there are a dozen other English teachers advertising lessons for $2 per hour doesn't mean you should. 'You get what you pay for' should be every teacher's guiding motto. If you are forced to compete at the lowest end of the price scale, this simple strategy should make it worthwhile: under cut everyone, but teach groups of 3-4 students instead of just one. Greater opportunity for communicative activities, less likelihood of cancellations and the potential for a lot of fun, make this an extremely viable formula. 2. Accept 'I can't make today's lesson' lightly. Cancellations are the bane of a private teacher's life. Make sure you have a fair - but firm - cancellation policy in place. 'Any cancellations after 8am on the day of the lesson will be charged for' is a fair policy. Most students respect this. And once you've got a private... 1. Stipulate (where possible) that the student comes to you. ESL/EFL teachers regularly spend half of their day travelling between teaching assignments. Travelling to private lessons at the end of a long day is often the last thing you want. It also reduces the possibility of consecutive - 6pm-7pm-8pm - private lessons. 2. Keep things formal. Time for casual chat should come after the lesson. If students are paying for an hour's input (often at inflated rates), they are right to expect a full hour's input. 3. Get yourself a carbon notepad on which to record the student's mistakes. At the end of the session, give the student his/her copy to take away. This also means you have an accurate record of what has been covered throughout the course. 4. Prepare lessons thoroughly. And set homework. It's not because the lessons take place on your kitchen table that they don't merit the same level of preparation and consideration as your regular lessons. For most students, the novelty of having a native-speaking private teacher soon wears off when they realize their teacher improvises every lesson. 5. Suggest 'Telephone Lessons' as an alternative /extra to face-to-face. Not only do lessons conducted over the phone provide very real listening practice, they can be less intimidating (and far more convenient) than face-to-face lessons. Try them - they're great fun, and might just give you the edge over the dozens of other ESL/EFL teachers vying for the same few clients. 
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