All your friends shook their heads, your parents talked you out of it and the whole world seemed against you when you told them that you were pursuing a degree in English literature and Linguistics. They never understood your passion for the written word and all they foresaw was a poor individual struggling to make ends meet. It’s time to prove them wrong with these five ways to make money online using your knowledge of the English language!

1. Teach English Online

You guessed it. There won’t be any list regarding making money with English without a mention of teaching. Teaching English to non-native English speakers can be a rewarding endeavour both emotionally and financially. Online English teachers are making a decent side income or even a full-time income, replacing their day jobs, by teaching the English language to students all over the world. If you already have experience and are willing to become a teacherpreneur, you can branch out on your own by creating a website or an Instagram page where you advertise your own services to potential students. You can set your own hours and charge the rates that suit you best, but make sure to do some research so you don’t over or under price your services. If you are not ready to branch out on your own, you can sign up to become a teacher on the numerous websites offering tutoring to students globally. Websites like VIPkid, Preply and others allow teachers to create profiles, set their own rates and working hours and start teaching right away. Make sure to check the requirement for these websites as some of them only hire native speakers or individuals from certain geographies or with certain qualifications. These websites also take a cut from the money you make but that’s the price to pay for all the marketing and management they do on their end so you can get a constant flow of work!

2. Proofread

 If you’re the one to constantly spell-check your colleagues’ emails, then this job is for you. Proofreading involves the meticulous correction of grammar, punctuation and other mistakes that may appear in a written text of any kind. Proofreading is different than copy-editing which we discuss later on in this post. If you have experience in proofreading, you can start offering your services to people by using word of mouth marketing, you can also setup a presence online where you can advertise your services. Alternatively, you can join freelancing websites such as Upwork and freelancer where you can setup profiles and bid on proofreading gigs. You can also search local and international job boards and search for full-time positions as an English proof-reader. Proof-readers charge by the hour or by the word! Hourly rates or per-word rates are set based on what you want to earn and what your credentials can justify so make sure to do some research of what others are charging before you set yours to stay competitive.

3. Copy-edit

Similar to proofreading, copy-editing involves the correction of written text but with an emphasis on sentence structure and coherence too. A proofreader will search for mistakes on a word level, the copyeditor will edit for clarity, coherence and syntax in general. Proofreading and copy-editing can be bundled up as one service to elevate your value in the client’s eyes. Finding copy-editing jobs is similar to landing proofreading gigs so follow the steps above and you’re sure to find something suitable for you!

4. Copy-writing

Just as the name implies, copywriting is the activity of writing copy or content for brands and companies with an online presence. The difference between content writing and copy-writing is a tiny nuance in the goal of copy-writing. You see, all those emails you get after a subscription, all the marketing billboards and landing pages of e-commerce website are written by creative copy-writers in order to achieve a certain goal which is usually generating more sales for the brand. If you think you have enough creativity and a knack for the playing with words, you can surely become a copywriter. If you are unsure of what it takes to become a copywriter just google copywriting positions and see what the requirements are. If you meet these requirements, congrats you might have landed the job. However, if you are unsure you can do it, you can try training to become a better copywriter by writing emails and copy similar to what you see on your favourite websites!

5. Translation

This is where you can really show-off your language skills by combining two languages you are fluent at! Maybe you’re naturally a bilingual due to the country you were born in, or maybe you had a passion for a foreign language and you’ve mastered it, you can use these languages to become a translator. Translation can be easily done online; all you need is a client who needs translation done in one of the two or maybe three languages you are proficient at! Similar to the jobs mentioned above, you can freelance, start your own business or find a job as a translator with a company remotely! Translation is still a lucrative path to undergo as no matter the advancement in machine translation software such as Google translate, it still not a fully viable option to replace human translators!

Sharpen your skills and find which one of these five online routes can be an option for you! Show those who doubted your career choice the lifestyle you’ve built for yourself as an English language Nazi!