Ethical Language Learning: Are We Paying Online Teachers Too Little?

Okay, so this is not going to be a popular topic I’m sure.

There’s something that’s been bothering me for a long time – years, in fact.

I’ll explain what it is in just a moment.

But first, we really are in a lucky time when it comes to the accessibility of language teachers and practice partners.

Tools like italki have changed everything.

The same can be said for all kinds of freelance labor (i.e. Upwork).

When I started this blog around 8 years ago, it was legitimately challenging just to find someone to speak to in a target language.

For some languages, practice just wasn’t even an option.

Back when I started my Irish mission, I searched high and low where I lived for native speakers (even learners) to practice with and had zero luck (I had to travel from Australia to Ireland just to get some practice!).

These days you have access to teachers in just about every language you can think of. A few clicks and a few bucks is all it takes.

We’re seriously luckier than we realize.

What’s a language teacher worth to you?

So here’s the issue.

If you browse through the lists of teachers on italki for instance, you’ll find many teachers and community tutors pricing themselves at totally undignified rates.

$4 an hour for example. $2 for half an hour.

I wouldn’t even bend over to pick that up in the street!

Now, imagine offering that kind of money to a university qualified teacher in America, Australia or the UK.

You simply wouldn’t.

They’d be insulted by it or think you were joking.

I realize that I probably sound like I’m virtue signalling by bringing this up but I think it’s at least worthy of a discussion.

Just because they offer it, doesn’t you mean you have to take it

I’ve already received a few messages from people saying things like:

“If they price themselves low, then that’s what they want and it’s not wrong to accept it.”

I don’t agree with this at all.

It sounds like an attempt to absolve yourself of responsibility or care.

Two things I want to point out:

1. You know you’re getting a steal by accepting their pricing (which means the onus is on you to know better).
2. They price themselves lower and lower to remain competitive with other people in their country which means everybody is basically racing to the bottom.

It’s not necessarily that they want that amount of money.

You have to wonder if they’re comparing themselves to European language teachers (charging high double digits) and wondering how they could ever price themselves the same way.

Even if they wanted to, competition from their own countrymen would make it impossible.

Especially when we’re happy to oblige.

Remember: just because someone offers you something undignified, doesn’t automatically absolve you of responsibility.

Tip your language teachers

I don’t actually know if italki has a tipping option in place currently.

I’ve seen it suggested in forums by other people.

This would be a really great feature to highlight in my opinion – a way to show undervalued teachers that you appreciate the work they do.

If someone’s pricing themselves too low and you’re able to afford higher, you should have the option to pay more.

Or they could introduce a ‘minimum cap’ but that might make the platforms less appealing and stifle market competition in the end.

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What do you think?

Comment below.