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What does an english as a second language teacher do?

Updated January 8, 2025
9 min read
Quoted expert
Roselyn Costantino Ph.D.
What does an english as a second language teacher do

As the frontline in every school, the enrollment advisor works on answering students' queries about the university, its performance, the curriculum used, fees to be paid, scholarships provided, and even facilitate the on-campus tour. Should the student choose to enroll, the enrollment advisor helps process documents while also checking for course availability. Having good communication skills, enrollment advisors also help students assess their future careers and plan their course map.

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English as a second language teacher responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real english as a second language teacher resumes:

  • Manage all lesson planning, and develop school's curriculum on U.S. cultural, literature and government.
  • Highly-Qualify and experience English as a second language specialist that is capable of teaching and managing international adult students.
  • Test all non-naturalize students for the ESOL program.
  • Align curriculum with school wide goals and WIDA standards.
  • Boost cultural awareness by incorporating children's literature from cultures around the world.
  • Conduct conversation classes for ESOL beginners, all of whom are from low-income families.
  • Apply knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint for the creation of classroom materials and learning tools.
  • Employ strategies used at WIDA trainings to assist ESL students and help teachers with writing assessments.
  • Utilize Microsoft PowerPoint presentation technology to energize Chinese students to learn English through the use of modern media.
  • Provide adequate study guidelines for assignments and imminent exams.
  • Correct grammar and pronunciation to improve students' technical speaking abilities and overall conversational skills.
  • Tutor students for introductory and intermediate Greek courses and assist with translations for independent study.
  • Incorporate authentic materials into lessons through the use of audio-visual support to increase communicative language practice.
  • Collaborate with Korean teachers to evaluate lesson effectiveness, and provide advisement on grammar quizzes and exams.
  • Develop excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, fluent in chinese mandarin, american English and Korean.

English as a second language teacher skills and personality traits

We calculated that 15% of English As A Second Language Teachers are proficient in English Language, Classroom Management, and Student Learning. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Patience, and Physical stamina.

We break down the percentage of English As A Second Language Teachers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • English Language, 15%

    Planned and facilitated English language professional development workshops for Japanese teachers of English and foreign exchange teachers.

  • Classroom Management, 14%

    Sustained successful classroom management by incorporating motivational activities as well as positive reinforcement.

  • Student Learning, 10%

    Communicated and coordinated instruction with other staff relative to student learning.

  • Professional Development, 9%

    Spearheaded a Layered Curriculum and Internationals aligned professional development for two teams of teachers, 14 participants.

  • Language Proficiency, 7%

    Administered language proficiency tests as well as standardized state assessments.

  • Public Schools, 6%

    Instructed and managed elementary-level and secondary-level students in Korean public schools.

Most english as a second language teachers use their skills in "english language," "classroom management," and "student learning" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential english as a second language teacher responsibilities here:

Resourcefulness. For certain english as a second language teacher responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "resourcefulness." The day-to-day duties of an english as a second language teacher rely on this skill, as "postsecondary teachers must be able to present information in a way that students will understand." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what english as a second language teachers do: "demonstrated resourcefulness and developed ingenuity; overcame language barriers and trying working environments. "

Critical-thinking skills. A commonly-found skill in english as a second language teacher job descriptions, "critical-thinking skills" is essential to what english as a second language teachers do. English as a second language teacher responsibilities rely on this skill because "to conduct original research and design experiments, postsecondary teachers need to analyze information logically." You can also see how english as a second language teacher duties rely on critical-thinking skills in this resume example: "develop lesson plans and curriculum guides that foster student learning in critical-thinking. "

Interpersonal skills. While "interpersonal skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to english as a second language teacher responsibilities. Much of what an english as a second language teacher does relies on this skill, seeing as "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of english as a second language teachers: "developed excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, fluent in chinese mandarin, american english and korean. "

Most common english as a second language teacher skills

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English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume
English As A Second Language Teacher Resume

Compare different english as a second language teachers

English as a second language teacher vs. Esl instructor

An ESL instructor is responsible for teaching the English language, usually to non-native speakers, discussing all the disciplines of the English language, both written and verbal, and in some cases, even its nature and history. ESL instructors create a comprehensive lesson plan for the English language learners, prepare learning materials, and conduct individual and group activities to test the learners' knowledge and progress. They also evaluate the learners' performance by identifying areas of improvement and adjust teaching strategies to address each learner's difficulties and maintain an engaging classroom environment.

If we compare the average english as a second language teacher annual salary with that of an esl instructor, we find that esl instructors typically earn a $2,202 lower salary than english as a second language teachers make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between english as a second language teachers and esl instructors are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like english language, classroom management, and student learning.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between english as a second language teachers and esl instructor. For instance, english as a second language teacher responsibilities require skills such as "creole," "k-12," "language arts," and "k-8." Whereas a esl instructor is skilled in "vocabulary," "kids," "math," and "study." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Esl instructors tend to make the most money working in the retail industry, where they earn an average salary of $55,425. In contrast, english as a second language teachers make the biggest average salary, $57,547, in the retail industry.On average, esl instructors reach higher levels of education than english as a second language teachers. Esl instructors are 5.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

English as a second language teacher vs. Teacher-in-training

A teacher-in-training is a teaching professional who offers technical teaching assistance to teachers in developing effective behavior management and instructional strategies to support student learning. The teacher must collaborate with principals while employing diverse techniques to increase the effectiveness of student learning. By observing classes and then giving feedback to teachers about their teaching style, classroom management, and techniques are some of the responsibilities of a teacher-in-training. The teacher must also develop a wide array of curriculum materials and lesson plans for classroom instruction.

A career as a teacher-in-training brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an english as a second language teacher. In fact, teachers-in training salary is $18,214 lower than the salary of english as a second language teachers per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. English as a second language teachers and teachers-in training both require similar skills like "classroom management," "public schools," and "curriculum development" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real english as a second language teacher resumes. While english as a second language teacher responsibilities can utilize skills like "english language," "student learning," "professional development," and "language proficiency," teachers-in training use skills like "staff development," "student achievement," "student engagement," and "yoga."

On average, teachers-in training earn a lower salary than english as a second language teachers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, teachers-in training earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $39,697. Whereas english as a second language teachers have higher pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $57,547.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Teachers-in training tend to reach similar levels of education than english as a second language teachers. In fact, they're 4.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for english as a second language teachers in the next 3-5 years?

Roselyn Costantino Ph.D.Roselyn Costantino Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Latin American Studies, Pennsylvania State University Altoona

New Technologies:
Be on top of all sharing apps; by the time someone claims which to know, new ones will be available so you must be current. Find out what businesses or fields of interest are using. Linkedin is broadly used. Keystone Staffing Solutions CFO stresses: "No matter what you are doing--gap year or full-time job, spend 2 to 3 hours a day on-line, expanding your knowledge of apps major organizations in your field and beyond are using."

Communication Skills:
English Degree: Your degree enables development/expertise in the what are the essential skills in so many professions and businesses: the ability to write critically, be persuasive, and communicate with clarity. Write papers or articles and submit to publications. Start blogs and share ideas with people in your similar situation. Encourage professionals to participate and add advice.

If speaking in public is difficult, take courses. Afraid? Practice starting with children by volunteering or offering free classes for kids. Work up to older children then adults. Build confidence and skill. But importantly, don't underestimate the value of this ability.

English as a second language teacher vs. Teacher

Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world. Every teacher is unique and has their own teaching styles and methods depending on the subject they teach and the age of their students. Oftentimes they also function as a parent, counselor, coach, friend, and even a lawmaker. There is essentially no limit to the roles a teacher portrays.

On average, teachers earn lower salaries than english as a second language teachers, with a $7,439 difference per year.english as a second language teachers and teachers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "classroom management," "student learning," and "professional development," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, english as a second language teachers are more likely to have skills like "english language," "language proficiency," "grammar," and "creole." But a teacher is more likely to have skills like "esl," "handle scheduling," "kids," and "cpr."

Teachers earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $49,700. Comparatively, english as a second language teachers have the highest earning potential in the retail industry, with an average salary of $57,547.When it comes to education, teachers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to english as a second language teachers. In fact, they're 4.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

English as a second language teacher vs. Student teacher

A student-teacher is responsible for assisting their supervising instructors in maintaining the class orderliness during lectures and class activities. Student teachers' duties include helping with lesson plans, organizing learning activities, managing student behaviors, observing classroom procedures, preparing visual materials and other educational equipment, providing feedback for students, and keeping students' records for evaluation. A student-teacher must maintain excellent communication and decision-making skills to set goals and make consistent progress to the class while keeping students engaged.

Student teachers tend to earn a higher pay than english as a second language teachers by an average of $3,607 per year.While both english as a second language teachers and student teachers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like classroom management, student learning, and professional development, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An english as a second language teacher uses "english language," "language proficiency," "public schools," and "curriculum development." Student teachers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "math," "kindergarten," "bulletin boards," and "student teaching. "The education industry tends to pay the highest salaries for student teachers, with average annual pay of $54,049. Comparatively, the highest english as a second language teacher annual salary comes from the retail industry.The average resume of student teachers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to english as a second language teachers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 6.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.9%.

Types of english as a second language teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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