Teacher (Foreign Language)

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Work Tasks

FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS help students to become proficient in a foreign language to be able to talk with people who speak another language; exchange information and ideas; and communicate in a work setting. They teach students vocabulary and the rules of grammar and have students practice communication. They organize the course content and instructional sequence. They plan, evaluate, and assign lessons; prepare, administer and grade tests; listen to oral presentations; and maintain classroom discipline. Through the Internet, students can communicate with students in other countries.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $54,000 average per year ($26.00 per hour)
• A very large occupation (1,053,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (0.9% per year)

Entry Requirements

All states require FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS to be certified or licensed in public schools. Qualifications include a bachelor's degree and completion of an approved teacher training program, with a certain number of credits, and supervised practice teaching. Some states require teachers to obtain a master's degree in education, with a specialization in a particular subject. Colleges and universities usually consider doctoral degree holders for full-time, tenure-track positions, but may hire master's degree holders for certain disciplines.