How to Teach Languages on Preply and Earn $25+/Hour

Why teach languages on Preply?

Preply is one of the largest online tutoring marketplaces, connecting language tutors with students in more than 180 countries. Some platforms only let you teach English; Preply supports 50+ languages, from Spanish, French and Mandarin to less commonly taught languages like Ukrainian, Tagalog and Swahili.

If you speak a second language well enough to teach it, Preply is a legitimate way to earn $25 or more per hour while setting your own schedule, rates and teaching style. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has consistently advocated one-on-one tutoring as one of the most effective ways to learn a language, and platforms like Preply make it available to far more people.

Below is how to make it work.

How much can you earn?

Preply tutors set their own hourly rates. What you can charge depends on the language you teach, your experience and your student reviews. A realistic breakdown:

• New tutors (0-20 lessons): $10-$18/hour. Starting lower helps you attract your first students and build reviews
• Established tutors (50-200 lessons): $18-$30/hour. With positive reviews you can raise rates gradually
• Expert tutors (500+ lessons): $30-$60+/hour. Tutors with specialized skills (IELTS prep, business language, academic writing) charge premium rates

Preply takes a commission on your first lesson with each new student (typically 33%), but only 18% on later lessons with that same student. So the structure rewards long-term relationships with students, which also tend to produce better learning.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, self-enrichment education teachers (including language tutors) earn a median of $22/hour in the US. Top Preply tutors teaching high-demand languages earn well above that, especially those who teach business professionals.

Earnings by language: what pays best

Some languages pay better than others on Preply. Based on marketplace demand and tutor supply:

• High demand, high pay: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese
• Niche demand, premium pricing: Arabic, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Dutch, Norwegian
• Growing demand: Korean (driven by K-pop/K-drama), Japanese (anime/business), Mandarin (business)
• Lower competition: Ukrainian, Turkish, Hebrew, Swahili. With fewer tutors, it's easier to stand out

Teaching a less common language often means fewer students, but you can charge higher rates because competition is lower. A Turkish tutor with strong reviews can charge $30-40/hour because students have limited alternatives.

Getting started: setting up your profile

Your profile video

Your profile video does more than anything else to turn profile visitors into students. Preply's own data shows that tutors with professional-quality videos get significantly more bookings. Keep it under 2 minutes and cover:

• A warm introduction in the language you teach (and in English, since many students browse in English)
• Your teaching background and qualifications
• What students can expect from your lessons
• Your personality, since students choose tutors they feel comfortable with

Film in a quiet, well-lit space. A ring light and a clean background go a long way, and a modern smartphone camera is good enough. Speak naturally and smile. You want potential students to think "I'd enjoy talking to this person."

Writing your bio

Your written profile should say who you are, what you teach and why someone should choose you. Be specific. "I help Korean professionals prepare for English-language business presentations" is far more convincing than "I teach English to all levels."

If you have certifications such as CELTA, TEFL, or a university degree in education or linguistics, put them near the top. Students increasingly look at tutor credentials when choosing online language teachers. Include specific results you've helped students reach: "15 of my students have passed IELTS with 7.0+" is strong social proof.

Finding your niche

The tutors who earn the most on Preply specialize. These are the most profitable niches:

Business language coaching

Professionals who need a language for work (negotiating contracts, giving presentations, writing emails) will pay premium rates. They're also the most consistent students and often book weekly sessions for months. If you've worked in a corporate environment, that experience is your biggest advantage here. The EF English Proficiency Index shows that companies increasingly require strong language skills for international business roles.

Exam preparation

Tutors who specialize in IELTS, TOEFL, DELF/DALF (French), DELE (Spanish) or HSK (Chinese) exam prep can charge more because the stakes are high for students. University admissions, immigration applications and job requirements all depend on these scores. If you know the exam formats, this specialization pays well.

Conversation practice for travelers

Many Preply students are planning trips and want enough conversation to order food, ask for directions and make small talk. These lessons are fun to teach and easy to prepare. Travel students also often keep taking lessons after the trip once they find they enjoy learning.

Academic and literary language

University students reading foreign literature, preparing to study abroad or writing academic papers in a second language need specialized help that apps can't give them. If you have an academic background, this niche has less competition and loyal students.

Heritage language recovery

This niche is growing: second-generation immigrants who grew up hearing their parents' language but never learned to speak it fluently. These students are highly motivated and care a lot about their progress. If you can teach heritage speakers with patience and cultural sensitivity, the work is rewarding and the market is underserved.

Strategies to grow your student base

Start with competitive pricing

Price your first 20-30 lessons to attract students, even if that means earning less. A new tutor charging $40/hour with zero reviews will get no bookings. A new tutor at $12/hour with a great video will quickly collect the reviews needed to raise rates, so treat early lessons as an investment. The polyglot Benny Lewis advises language teachers to build a track record before worrying about rates.

Respond quickly to inquiries

Preply's algorithm favors tutors who answer student messages within an hour. Fast replies push your profile higher in search results and show students you're reliable. Turn on mobile notifications so you don't miss messages.

Build long-term relationships

Recurring students are what make Preply income sustainable. After a first lesson, send a follow-up message summarizing what you covered and suggesting next steps, and put together a personalized learning plan. Students who feel their tutor cares about their progress are far more likely to keep booking.

Ask for reviews

Ask satisfied students to leave a review. Reviews are what turn profile visitors into paying students, and a tutor with 50 reviews gets far more bookings than one with 5.

Offer trial lessons that convert

Your first lesson with each student matters most. Use it to assess their level, learn their goals, show your teaching style and build rapport. End the trial by outlining a specific plan for their next 5-10 lessons. Students who see a clear plan are much more likely to continue with you.

Tools and resources for better lessons

Preply has a built-in virtual classroom with video chat, a shared whiteboard, screen sharing and a text chat for links and notes. Outside the platform, free tools like Quizlet (custom vocabulary flashcards), Canva (visual lesson materials), Google Docs (real-time writing exercises) and Language Reactor (YouTube/Netflix clips as conversation starters) can make your lessons better.

Research by Stephen Krashen on comprehensible input suggests that authentic materials in the target language, such as news articles, videos and podcasts, work better than textbook exercises alone. Bringing real-world content into lessons sets you apart from tutors who rely only on grammar drills.

Students notice when a tutor prepares good materials instead of winging every session, and it shows up in your reviews.

What qualifications do you need?

Preply doesn't require formal teaching certifications, but having them makes your profile much stronger. The most recognized credentials are:

• CELTA (Cambridge), the gold standard for English teaching
• TEFL/TESOL (various providers), widely accepted, especially the 120+ hour courses
• University degree in education, linguistics, or the language you teach
• Native speaker status: not a formal credential, but an advantage, especially for conversation practice
• Language-specific certifications such as DALF for French, HSK Advanced for Mandarin or JLPT N1 for Japanese

Even without certifications, strong language skills, a well-made profile and competitive starting prices can get you going. Many successful Preply tutors started as conversation partners and earned credentials over time.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Pricing too high too soon: Build reviews first, then raise rates gradually
• Ignoring student messages: Response time directly affects your search ranking
• No lesson structure: Even conversation practice benefits from a loose plan
• Not using the recording feature: Replay lessons to improve your own teaching
• Teaching too many languages: Focus on 1-2 languages to build expertise and reviews in each

Getting started

Ready to start teaching? Sign up as a Preply tutor here. To apply, you create your profile, record a video introduction, and set your availability and rates. Most applications are reviewed within a few days.

If you're looking to sharpen your own language skills before teaching, explore our discounts on Korean classes, Japanese classes, and Mandarin classes through LTL Flexi. And if teaching online appeals to you but you'd prefer a different platform, read our guides to teaching on Cambly and teaching English in Malaysia for more options.

For more on why language skills are worth so much in the job market, see our articles on the power of language learning and high-income skills you can learn online.