Choosing lessons
How online English lessons work across time zones
Quick answer
Online lessons work across time zones as long as the lesson time suits your child in your own local time, usually after school, roughly 4pm to 8pm, or on a weekend morning. Most countries in Asia and the Gulf don't change their clocks, but Europe does, so check lesson times in late March and late October.
With online lessons, your child's teacher can be in a different country and a different time zone. That works well as long as the lesson time suits your child: after school or on a weekend morning, in your local time. This guide explains how to choose that time, what to check when clocks change in spring and autumn, and how to keep a weekly lesson steady wherever you live in Asia or the Middle East.
- By CurioKids teamHow we write our guides
- Published
- Updated
- 7 min read
Key takeaways
- Always think in your own local time: what matters is that the lesson fits your child's day.
- For most children, the best times are after school, roughly 4pm to 8pm, or a weekend morning.
- Most countries in Asia and the Gulf don't change their clocks, but Europe does, and so do Israel, Lebanon and Egypt.
- Check lesson times in the weeks when clocks change, at the end of March and the end of October.
- A fixed weekly slot helps children settle and makes lessons part of the routine.
On this page
Does it matter if the teacher is in another time zone?
Not for the lesson itself. A live online lesson works the same whether the teacher is in the next street or on another continent: your child sees and hears the teacher, they talk, read and play games together, and the teacher responds in real time. What the time difference changes is which lesson times are possible, so the question to ask is simply whether the times on offer suit your child.
A good booking system shows lesson times in your local time, so you don't have to do sums. If any provider shows times in another zone, check carefully and add the lesson to your calendar with the right local time.
What time of day is best for a child's online lesson?
For school-age children, the after-school window, roughly 4pm to 8pm local time, suits most families. A 25-minute lesson fits between a snack and dinner, or between dinner and bedtime. Weekend mornings work well too, when children are fresh and there's no school day behind them.
- Younger children, around four to six, usually focus best earlier: late afternoon or a weekend morning.
- Older primary children can often manage a slot after dinner, once homework is done.
- Avoid the hour before bed for any age, and times when your child is usually hungry.
Our guide to how long a child's lesson should be explains why short lessons suit children's attention.
Which time zones are the countries of Asia and the Middle East in?
Here is a quick reference, given as hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the world's reference clock. Only a few of these countries change their clocks in summer.
| Countries | Local time | Clocks change in summer? |
|---|---|---|
| Japan, South Korea, Timor-Leste | UTC+9 | No |
| Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mongolia (most of it) | UTC+8 | No |
| Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, western Indonesia | UTC+7 | No |
| Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan | UTC+6 | No |
| Nepal | UTC+5:45 | No |
| India, Sri Lanka | UTC+5:30 | No |
| Pakistan, the Maldives, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan | UTC+5 | No |
| The United Arab Emirates, Oman, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan | UTC+4 | No |
| Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Türkiye | UTC+3 | No |
| Israel, Lebanon, Egypt | UTC+2, or UTC+3 in summer | Yes |
Indonesia also has central (UTC+8) and eastern (UTC+9) zones. Time rules are set by each government and occasionally change, so if in doubt, check your phone's clock settings.
What happens when the clocks change?
Many countries in Europe and North America move their clocks forward an hour in spring and back an hour in autumn. In Europe this happens on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October. If your teacher lives somewhere that changes its clocks and you don't, the gap between you changes by an hour twice a year.
How that affects your lessons depends on the provider. Some keep your lesson at the same local time for you; in others the time can move by an hour. Either way, in those weeks, check your next lessons' times and your calendar reminders. If you live in Israel, Lebanon or Egypt, your own clocks change too, and not always on the same dates as Europe's.
What if our weekend is on different days?
In much of the Middle East the weekend is Friday and Saturday, while in many other countries it is Saturday and Sunday. That can work in your favour: your weekend morning may fall on a normal working day for teachers elsewhere. If weekday afternoons are packed with school and activities, look at weekend slots in your own week, including Fridays where that is a day off for your family.
How do I keep a weekly lesson steady?
- Choose one regular slot that suits your child's energy, and keep it each week.
- Add it to your phone's calendar as a repeating event in your own time zone.
- Set a reminder 15 minutes before, so there's time for a drink and the bathroom.
- Join a few minutes early and check the camera, microphone and headphones.
- Check the next lessons' times in late March and late October.
- If you travel, check how lesson times show in your new time zone.
What if we travel or go on holiday?
Online lessons can travel with you, which is one of their advantages: a lesson can happen from a grandparent's home or a holiday flat, as long as there's a steady connection and a quiet corner. Remember that your local time changes when you cross a time zone, so check how your lesson times show while you're away. If the new time doesn't suit, check the provider's rules for moving or cancelling a lesson, and do it early rather than at the last minute.
What else makes online lessons work well at home?
- A steady internet connection. Try a video call at your lesson time first, as evenings can be busier.
- A laptop or tablet rather than a phone, so your child can see the teacher and the lesson clearly.
- A quiet spot with good light in a shared room, with other screens and toys out of reach.
- A parent nearby, especially for younger children and the first few lessons.
Our guides to online versus in-person lessons and online lessons and screen time cover more of the practical side.
Where can I read about online English lessons in my country?
We have guides for parents across the region, with the after-school times and school context for each country: South-East Asia, East Asia, South and Central Asia and the Middle East.
CurioKids lessons are live and 1-to-1, 25 minutes each, for children aged 4–12, with a real teacher in the CurioKids online classroom. Families in Singapore and Malaysia can book a free first lesson from our Singapore and Malaysia pages. Read our FAQ for how booking works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time for a child's online English lesson?
For most school-age children, after school between about 4pm and 8pm local time, or a weekend morning. Younger children usually focus better earlier in the day.
Will my child's lesson time change when the clocks change?
It can, if your teacher's country changes its clocks and yours doesn't. In the weeks around the end of March and the end of October, check the times of your next lessons.
Does a time difference affect the quality of an online lesson?
No. A live online lesson works the same across any distance. The time difference only affects which lesson times are possible, so choose one that suits your child.
Which countries in Asia and the Middle East change their clocks?
Most don't. Of the countries in our guides, Israel, Lebanon and Egypt move their clocks forward in summer. Time rules can change, so check your device's clock settings if unsure.