How can I make extra money from my English skills?

snowleopard61

I've never posted on the 'Up Your Income' board before (I usually concentrate on reducing expenditure!), so hope my question isn't too silly.

I'm middle-aged, female, and employed full-time, but could do with some extra income.

My main skill is a good command of written and spoken English. I have a degree in English, but no teaching qualifications or experience, and the thought of standing up in front of a school class really doesn't appeal. I have no problem writing well when I have something to write, but have no particular creativity, and no useful material for a blog. I touch-type well, but nowadays every man and his dog can use a computer, so I can't imagine there's much of a market in typing dissertations etc.

I'd certainly consider teaching English as a foreign language if I could qualify quite cheaply, but don't want to teach abroad. If I could teach adults in the UK (even in groups/classes) that would work quite well. Is there enough of a need for this to make it worth my while investing in the training? I live in a university city where there are students and non-students of many nationalities.

ETA: People seem to like my speaking voice, and sometimes people I speak to on the phone in the course of my work spontaneously comment on it. If I could make use of this I'd be happy to do so, but I can't act and wouldn't like public speaking.

I'm really just looking for inspiration and/or advice, if anyone has any!

gb12345

snowleopard61 wrote: »

My main skill is a good command of written and spoken English. I have a degree in English, but no teaching qualifications or experience, and the thought of standing up in front of a school class really doesn't appeal. I have no problem writing well when I have something to write, but have no particular creativity, and no useful material for a blog. I touch-type well, but nowadays every man and his dog can use a computer, so I can't imagine there's much of a market in typing dissertations etc.

You could look at sites such as TextBroker where you get paid to write short articles for websites - they give you a subject, you just come up with the text.

For slightly longer texts, look at sites like Freelancer.com.

snowleopard61 wrote: »

ETA: People seem to like my speaking voice, and sometimes people I speak to on the phone in the course of my work spontaneously comment on it. If I could make use of this I'd be happy to do so, but I can't act and wouldn't like public speaking.

You could try posting a job on fiverr or similar sites for voice-overs (i.e. I'll do a 5 minute voiceover for your video for £5).

snowleopard61

gb12345 wrote: »

You could look at sites such as TextBroker where you get paid to write short articles for websites - they give you a subject, you just come up with the text.

For slightly longer texts, look at sites like Freelancer.com.



You could try posting a job on fiverr or similar sites for voice-overs (i.e. I'll do a 5 minute voiceover for your video for £5).

Thank you, those are great ideas. I hadn't heard of the first one and hadn't thought of the second.

fufu_banterwaite

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I'd certainly consider teaching English as a foreign language if I could qualify quite cheaply, but don't want to teach abroad. If I could teach adults in the UK (even in groups/classes) that would work quite well. Is there enough of a need for this to make it worth my while investing in the training? I live in a university city where there are students and non-students of many nationalities.

I’m in the early stages of getting into teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), I hope to do my CELTA course later this year and then head off to Spain next year to make use of it, so I have been doing a bit of research into the subject.

I think the demand for TEFL in England isn’t as great as it is overseas and there aren’t as many opportunities, but that’s not to say you couldn’t find work. My girlfriend has just got TEFL work at a summer school over here, however she already works at a school (albeit as a librarian/English as a second language teaher) and has a CELTA qualification. Not sure if I can post links here, but if you find Dave’s ESL Caf! website, there is an International Jobs Forum, which has a dedicated section on jobs in the UK that would probably help you.

My gut feeling is if you got a good TEFL qualification – CELTA or TESOL are the two most widely recognised, then you could make some extra money as a private EFL tutor. However the cost of doing a CELTA or TESOL course, isn’t cheap…

snowleopard61

You could try posting a job on fiverr or similar sites for voice-overs (i.e. I'll do a 5 minute voiceover for your video for £5

I know this sounds a bit dense, but presumably I would need some sort of special equipment to do this? (Clearly I can't travel to the client - if anyone wants me! - for £5.)

fufu_banterwaite

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I know this sounds a bit dense, but presumably I would need some sort of special equipment to do this? (Clearly I can't travel to the client - if anyone wants me! - for £5.)

I would think that even the voice recorder on an iPhone would be fine? I work in PR and have to arrange radio interviews and quite often the person wanting to carry out the interview says, “if such and such isn’t around, could you record a soundbite from them on an iPhone and send it over please?” Not sure if you have an iPhone though!

snowleopard61

fufu_banterwaite wrote: »

Not sure if you have an iPhone though!

I haven't, I'm afraid; in the spirit of MSE I have a very cheap and simple Nokia phone that doesn't do more than make and receive calls and texts! I daresay there are other possibilities (dictaphones?) but whether it would be worth paying for them is the question. Thank you, though.

fufu_banterwaite

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I daresay there are other possibilities (dictaphones?) but whether it would be worth paying for them is the question.

I wouldn’t use a dictaphone, I would just use your finger like everyone else.

Zoee

@snowleopard61

I'm really just looking for inspiration and/or advice, if anyone has any!

Have you managed to find something?

If not, have you considered another look at Fiverr?

a good command of written and spoken English

and

I'd certainly consider teaching English as a foreign language

and

I have no problem writing

These doubts are addressed when you see how others are doing it on Fiverr.



See how others are doing with using English spoken and written language:

Writing offers

I can't imagine there's much of a market in typing dissertations etc.

Typing offers

People seem to like my speaking voice,

Speaking offers

I would need some sort of special equipment to do this?

Not necessarily

A USB headphone with audio plugged into your computer is sufficient to start off with when completing audio/voice over gigs



What I like about Fiverr is their forum. Users are friendly, helpful and funny! I certainly have had a few chuckles reading some posts there

Zoee