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What is an english language assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Larry Herzberg Ph.D.,
Alexander Beringer
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an english language assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.6 an hour? That's $51,167 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 12% and produce 159,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an english language assistant?

Larry Herzberg Ph.D.Larry Herzberg Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Asian Languages, Director of Asian Studies, Calvin University

The pandemic has only exacerbated the decline in enrollments in humanities programs that had already been occurring in colleges and universities across the U.S. This has resulted in graduates' academic jobs in Asian languages, literature, linguistics, and Asian Studies will be extremely hard to find for the next few years. The vast majority of higher learning institutions in our country have hiring freezes for this year and next, particularly in the humanities.

Anti-China sentiment in the U.S. has reached a fever pitch as the Trump administration has further demonized China and seeks to decouple the U.S. economy from China. Travel between China and the U.S. is severely restricted right now, and prospects for Chinese graduates seeking to enter the business world are not very promising shortly, as the U.S.-China trade relationship is strained and affected by the U.S. imposed tariffs. The Japanese economy, which had already been in decline for the past several decades, is further hurt by the pandemic, diminishing prospects of jobs in the business world for Japanese language majors looking for careers outside academia.

Given these factors, my advice to current graduates is to be patient. In a post-pandemic world and hopefully, with a more rational approach in Washington to our relationship with China, interest in learning the Chinese language and culture will once again increase, leading to job openings in academia as well as in the business world. Japan and Korea will continue to be essential players in the world in the years to come, and there will be jobs for graduates with knowledge of the languages and cultures of those two East Asian countries.

In the meantime, I would advise current graduates to seek jobs teaching English in China, Japan, and Korea. All three of those countries have handled the pandemic far better than has the U.S. and are, therefore, far safer places to be right now. Teaching English at a university in those countries will enhance your knowledge of the language and culture you've been studying. That, in turn, will increase the likelihood of you getting a fellowship for graduate study and your prospects of a job in the business world. The JET Program provides the best English teaching jobs in Japan. Many universities in China and Korea are seeking university graduates who are native speakers of English to teach in their schools. Best to get certification in ESL before applying, however.
ScoreEnglish Language AssistantUS Average
Salary
4.0

Avg. Salary $51,167

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.21%

Black or African American 7.31%

Hispanic or Latino 10.40%

Unknown 4.96%

White 65.84%

Gender

female 69.61%

male 30.39%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

English language assistant career paths

Key steps to become an english language assistant

  1. Explore english language assistant education requirements

    Most common english language assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    81.8 %

    Master's

    9.6 %

    Associate

    4.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific english language assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    English-Language28.78%
    English Language28.78%
    American Culture6.75%
    ESL5.12%
    Language3.40%
  3. Research english language assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Lead weekly courses for co-workers wanting to learn English as a second language and/or assist with test preparations for English-language certifications.
    • Design extracurricular ESL curriculum and lead classes.
    • Used knowledge of native language in helping students and ESL teachers to improve speaking and written skills.
    • Develop lesson plans and co-taught with different levels of students and teachers.
  4. Prepare your english language assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your english language assistant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an english language assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable english language assistant resume templates

    Build a professional english language assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your english language assistant resume.
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
    English Language Assistant Resume
  5. Apply for english language assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an english language assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first english language assistant job

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Average english language assistant salary

The average english language assistant salary in the United States is $51,167 per year or $25 per hour. English language assistant salaries range between $34,000 and $76,000 per year.

Average english language assistant salary
$51,167 Yearly
$24.60 hourly

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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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