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Job outlook for foreign language instructors in the United States
Foreign language instructor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected foreign language instructor job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for foreign language instructors are projected over the next decade.
Foreign language instructor salaries have increased 10% for foreign language instructors in the last 5 years.
There are over 7,472 foreign language instructors currently employed in the United States.
There are 45,303 active foreign language instructor job openings in the US.
The average foreign language instructor salary is $62,177.
Are foreign language instructor jobs in demand?
Foreign language instructor job and salary trends over time
Foreign language instructor jobs over time
Foreign language instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,472 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 8,543 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,204 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,409 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 9,865 | 0.00% |
Average foreign language instructor salary over time
Foreign language instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,177 | $29.89 | --0.1% |
| 2024 | $62,239 | $29.92 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $60,149 | $28.92 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $57,811 | $27.79 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $56,468 | $27.15 | +3.5% |
Foreign language instructor jobs by state
Most common states for foreign language instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 307 | 23% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 141 | 23% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 265 | 15% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 148 | 15% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,104 | 13% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 881 | 13% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 727 | 13% |
| 8 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 634 | 13% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 125 | 12% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 69 | 12% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,096 | 11% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 457 | 11% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 336 | 11% |
| 14 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,050 | 10% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 617 | 10% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 280 | 10% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 209 | 10% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 78 | 10% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 96 | 9% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 69 | 9% |
Foreign Language Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of foreign language instructor experts
Ohio State University
College of the Marshall Islands
Willamette University
SUNY Stony Brook
Mercy College
Ohio State University
Union University
Macalester College
University of Iowa
Kent State University
North Central College
SUNY Buffalo State
The University of Vermont
Michigan Technological University
Texas Tech University
Arizona State University
Wilson College
Georgetown University
University of Houston - Downtown
The University of Alabama
What general advice would you give to a Foreign Language Instructor?
Sarah-Grace Heller: Romance language studies set a graduate apart as unique if they know how to talk about what they have gained. Anecdotally, students who say they got into graduate programs and jobs in many different fields because it made them stand out in a stack of seemingly identical applications. Having competencies in more than one language is a significant advantage for careers in education, translation, and international business.
What Foreign Language Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sarah-Grace Heller: Learning one romance language puts you on a fast track to learning another. Having competencies in more than one is a significant advantage for careers in education, translation, and international business. Knowing that you can learn another more easily than a monolingual person is also an advantage.
What will help Foreign Language Instructors increase their earning potential?
Sarah-Grace Heller: For success, students need to be prepared to talk about their transferable skills: intercultural competency, the ability to listen, respect, and connect people from different cultural backgrounds, tolerance for ambiguity earned through the humbling process of learning a new language, the ability to manage in new places and cultures, an understanding of how languages break down into grammatical units and use patterns, observation and critical analysis skills, curiosity, etc.
What Foreign Language Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexander Velasquez: I think that in the next three to five years the most important skills to have—and I mean this—will be critical thinking and imagination. This may sound a bit outlandish, and maybe even a bit naive, but hear me out: Artificial intelligence is making strides to the point where papers are writing themselves with simple instructions, videos are generating themselves with simple instructions, and software is beginning to write itself; and all this has been happening within the last few years. We may begin to see that in the next three to five years, once coveted programming jobs could become automated. Now, what I'm *not* saying is don't go to school for computer programming; but what I *am* saying is that the nature of work and employment *is* changing. For example, if you and and AI are making a video, and both of you have the same script, same voiceover, and so on, the only thing separating your final product from the AI's is the way you *think and imagine*, the perspective that you have as someone who can think critically about the information and lay it out in a visually appealing manner. AI can't do that—at least not yet—because it simply spits out the information it's given. But critical thought, metalevel thinking about information, is what will be one of the most important assets to have in the coming three to five years.
Erica Duncan
Willamette University
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What Foreign Language Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Erica Duncan: As the increase of technology in language learning and communication continues, being proficient in digital tools and platforms is essential. Understanding and navigating cultural nuances, being able to adapt to changing contexts, including remote work, hybrid work models, and evolving language learning methodologies, will be highly valued.
Dr. Sarah Jourdain
Chair, Department of Languages & Cultural Studies, Director, World Language Teacher PreparationSUNY Stony Brook
Area Studies
What general advice would you give to a Foreign Language Instructor?
Dr. Sarah Jourdain: For those starting a career in the field of languages and cultural studies, maximizing salary potential can be achieved by becoming certified in a minimum of two fields (e.g., French and Spanish, or a World Language and TESOL). This certification provides greater job flexibility and can lead to increased earning potential.
What Foreign Language Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Sarah Jourdain: The ability to speak another language, understand other cultures, and possess intercultural competence will become increasingly important and prevalent in various fields including International Business, Government work, NGOs, and translation/interpretation. There is a growing demand for World Language teachers, Bilingual teachers, and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the K-12 school system.
What will help Foreign Language Instructors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Sarah Jourdain: The ability to speak another language, and understand other cultures, is of great benefit in many fields including International Business, work for Governments as well as NGOs, and translation and interpretation to name just a few. Intercultural competence, paired with language ability, makes most people more marketable in their chosen fields. I'm best able to speak specifically about those preparing to become K-12 language teachers since that is the population of students I work most closely with. There is a growing demand for World Language teachers, as well as Bilingual teachers, and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the K-12 school system. It is an excellent time to enter the teaching profession. For those wishing to become teachers, it is advisable to become certified in a minimum of two fields (French and Spanish, for example, or a World Language and TESOL). This provides a greater range of job flexibility.
What general advice would you give to a Foreign Language Instructor?
Dr. Alan Hartman: Again, there are many fields that students enter after completing their major in Spanish. I feel a major key to success is to get a graduate degree immediately after finishing one's undergraduate degree, which beginning next semester will be possible at Mercy University through our five-year programs in Spanish & TESOL and Spanish & MBA Programs.
What Foreign Language Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Alan Hartman: Being fluent in two or more languages is essential in today's work. We are becoming increasingly globalized and tethered together as a world community. The more languages one speaks, reads, understands, and writes fluently the more opportunities one will find. Many people speak a second language, especially in New York, however very few can command a professional level of cultural or linguistic fluency in more than one language. Understanding another culture and language is power, and the more languages one speaks fluently while also holding an elevated level of cultural understanding, the more opportunities of all kinds will become apparent.
I think it is also important to note that there is a record lack of languages teachers in general at the moment and this is one field into which many of our graduates enter. Italian, French, Spanish, and TESOL teachers are all in tremendous need and now is an excellent moment for new teachers to find immediate, meaningful, and well-paying positions with excellent benefits.
Similarly, many government agencies, among them the FBI, Foreign Service, and others, are actively seeking to attract recent graduates into their field and a background in languages well positions future candidates who wish to do so.
What will help Foreign Language Instructors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Alan Hartman: There are many fields that students enter from the Spanish Major. Studying abroad is one of the most important first steps for undergraduates if possible. After that, being active culturally in the Hispanic world is key; attending museum exhibits, conference talks, and generally finding reasons to mix with people who are active in the field while also informing oneself of key topics and happenings. Once the student begins to do these things, the field opens before them and those inside are eager to welcome enthusiastic and active newcomers that have a proven record of activity.
Janice Aski
Professor of Italian and Director of the Center for Languages Literatures and CulturesOhio State University
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What will help Foreign Language Instructors increase their earning potential?
Janice Aski: Students graduating with majors and minors in a world language have so many skills that they have developed during their studies in a new language. I often see students not leveraging these skills in interviews and on their resumes. Through the Center for Languages Literatures and Cultures we offer a workshop in which we explain to students what these skills are and how to talk about them in interviews and how to put them on their resume as more than just a line at the end under ‘languages spoken’. See the next answer for what some of these skills are.
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Julie Glosson: -Area of specialization
-Language proficiency
-Work History
-Study abroad/Immersion type of experiences
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Julie Glosson: -Positive attitude
-Adaptability
-Ability to be a team player as well as work independently
-Willingness to grow and learn from mistakes
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Julie Glosson: -Language proficiency
-Knowledge of content
-Pedagogical Skills in Language Acquisition
-Professional Development
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Julie Glosson: -Completed Terminal Degree (professors)
-Publications (professors)
-Other scholarly material (professors)
-Specialization in another area (either professor or K12 teacher)
-State certifications (K12 teachers)
-Other types of certifications or affiliations (either professor or K12 teacher)
Nanette Scott Goldman
Senior Lecturer in the Classical Mediterranean and Middle EastMacalester College
Department of the Classical Mediterranean and Middle East
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Nanette Scott Goldman: Language fluency and teaching experience.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Nanette Scott Goldman: With a Classical languages major, you learn to excel at clear writing, listening, memorizing, data analysis, critical thinking, promoting understanding across cultural boundaries, data organization, and presentation
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Nanette Scott Goldman: With a classical languages major, you learn to excel at writing clearly, listening, memorizing, data analysis, critical thinking, promoting understanding across cultural boundaries, data organization, and presentation
Dr. Irina Kostina
Associate Professor of Instruction, The Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Russian ProgramUniversity of Iowa
Division of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Dr. Irina Kostina: Traditionally in Russia, we had this very important info in our resume: 1) education, 2) work experience, 3) publications.
Today being the Director of the Russian program at the University of Iowa, I would appreciate my colleagues who have the skills:
Critical thinking, patience, and leadership.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Dr. Irina Kostina: Some of the soft skills are listed above. I would add to the aforementioned skills organization, communication, and teamwork.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Dr. Irina Kostina: Certifications, computer skills, writing, language, and presentation skills.
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Dr. Irina Kostina: Unfortunately, everything changed today. Before, degrees were very important, but today the skills are.
Social media marketing, content writing, website development, and so on... will help to earn more money and educational administration.
Dr. Geoffrey Koby Ph.D.
Full ProfessorKent State University
Department of Modern & Classical Language Studies
What general advice would you give to a Foreign Language Instructor?
Dr. Geoffrey Koby Ph.D.: You’ll never be done learning your foreign language! This applies whether you’re a foreign language teacher, a translator, or an interpreter—plan on lifelong learning. This means keeping in touch with changes in the language and culture of your chosen foreign culture, and ideally frequent visits to keep your skills sharp. Remember that learning a foreign language is not “one and done”—like any skill, it has to be practiced, and that’s best done in the foreign country. You need to be practicing with native speakers.
Brian Hoffert
Associate Professor of Religious Studies and History; Coordinator of History of Ideas; Coordinator of East Asian Studies\North Central College
Religious Studies
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Brian Hoffert: Students who are looking for a career that has a focus on East Asia will generally need to demonstrate strong language skills and some kind of facility with one or more of the cultures in that region. I will discuss these two aspects in my responses to the next two questions.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Brian Hoffert: I would say that cultural competency (being familiar with one or more East Asian cultures) is the key soft skill that employers would look for. It is a soft skill because it is difficult to "prove" this kind of competency on a resume, though the essential thing that students should consider is literally how much time they've spent in the culture in question. A degree in East Asian Studies will suggest that you have a basic understanding of Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean cultures, but study abroad experiences demonstrate that you have actually spent time in the culture in question. At North Central, we offer short-term study abroad programs to the region (mostly focusing on China and Japan, but sometimes Taiwan, Hong Kong, and potentially Korea); these are helpful, but two weeks is not enough time to gain real competency. We, therefore, offer many long-term (one or two-semester) programs throughout the region, which will allow students to practice their "hard skills" (i.e., communicating in an East Asian language on a daily basis) but will also help them develop a deeper understanding of the culture. In addition, any kind of employment where one is in contact with one of these cultures is helpful, whether that is doing an internship in an East Asian country or working in a Japanese restaurant in Naperville.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Brian Hoffert: Language skills are the other major factor in securing employment in a field that involves East Asia. This can be demonstrated more easily by simply completing a certain number of language courses at North Central (or elsewhere), though learning Chinese and/or Japanese is significantly different from learning European languages because one can attain a high degree of proficiency after four years of college French, German or Spanish, but one may have difficulty reading a newspaper or watching tv after the same amount of Chinese or Japanese study. This is why it is highly recommended that students study abroad as part of their college experience, though to attain even a basic level of true fluency will inevitably require spending additional time in an East Asian country after graduation. Of course, it does depend on what you intend to do with your East Asian Studies (or Chinese/Japanese language) degree. If you want to be a translator, several additional years of serious study will be required, but you can get by with much less for other careers, like working for an East Asian company where a little knowledge of the language and culture may go a long way.
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Brian Hoffert: This is a difficult question since it depends on what you want to do and perhaps what major you pair with an East Asian Studies or Chinese/Japanese language major. For example, someone who double majors in Business/Marketing and Chinese or Japanese language can make a lot of money working in international trade, etc. Translation can pay extremely well if you get into a well-known post-graduate translation program; these programs are difficult, but there is a high demand for professional translation services, so you can be pretty much guaranteed excellent money immediately after graduation. Of course, you can go to school for another decade, get your Ph.D. and make a decent living as a professor (though there is a lot of competition, so this isn't the safest option--best for those with a true passion).
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSUNY Buffalo State
Department of English
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: I believe that the critical thinking skills that can only be developed through intensive, deep reading are their most valuable asset. It makes them thinkers, intellectually and emotionally strong--something we desperately need in America today. They are active and engaged citizens who really excel at being self-motivated and engaged, and that is a valuable skill set to bring to any workplace.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: English majors, while many are introverted thinkers, are good workers on group projects. They are affable and adaptable, good conversationalists who are also good listeners. They allow others to find their own voice and do their work while contributing their own insights. They are great for being engaged in culture and perpetuating the kinds of self-directed learning that is expected of English majors inside and outside the classroom.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: Most of these have to do with their ability to write and think. Their critical thinking skills and self-motivation make them valuable contributors to the workplaces they join. Because they are trained to be self-motivated, they tend to need less oversight to ensure the success of the project(s) they are completing, making for less direct administrative need. They have been trained to break apart a problem and see (and solve) the problem's component parts through the process of critical thinking. Trained in a meta-discourse, they do not become outdated when one formal system in their field becomes obsolete, but they see beyond systems to larger issues.
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: Their involvement in many kinds of experience through the English major, including the study of literature/culture and their experiences as writers and thinkers. Through involvement in opportunities such as writing tutoring, which is done via the department, publishing, and internships, our majors can be leaders in the work in which they are invested, helping to manage and guide others.
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Angeline Chiu Ph.D.: There's a basket of different skills that are essential for teaching languages, and after some years of teaching (and teaching others how to teach), I am always struck by how some of these skills aren't immediately obvious to the outside observer even though they are as essential as those that are. The skills also all work together in complex ways, and you can't really pick out this or that skill in isolation from the others.
For instance, you need excellent interpersonal communication skills. This might seem obvious - you are teaching languages! - but being able to understand a language's grammar yourself and use it yourself is a world different from being able to explain it clearly to learners and help them use it. You also need to be able to instill a sense of purpose and vision: why are we doing this, in addition to how? This will be different depending on the group whom you are trying to teach (elementary? adult learners? I teach college undergrads myself), and it is incumbent on you as the instructor to lead from the front and demonstrate why language learning is important ... and fun!
You also need a good grasp of the culture and history of the language that you are trying to teach. Languages don't exist in an antiseptic bubble of grammar rules and vocab words. They are part of the human experience, and we have to remember that. At its best, language learning builds bridges among different communities and individuals; it can enrich our understanding of our own culture and those of others, and communication is absolutely key to every other human endeavor that involves other humans ... and that's just about all endeavors.
In that vein, if you will indulge a little digression: I'm very interested in translation, and I recently got together with a colleague in Japanese with similar interests. We did a little series of lectures/workshops about the issues of translating world literature from an original language into another one (say, Dante from 14th c. Italian into contemporary American English). To be an effective translator, you need to know much more than "only" the nuts and bolts of grammar and such. You need to be able to call on a personal skill set of many humanities/liberal arts and even social sciences competencies, from history to sociology to anthropology to linguistics to so many others. This is even more pressing in the world of real-time live interpretation work at, say, international conferences and such. Mistranslations or misunderstandings could have serious real-world consequences.
Having some travel experience also helps, along with a sense of always being a learner and a sharer and an explorer of the human experience, even when - especially when - you are the instructor. A little humility goes a long way, and attitude counts for a great deal.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Angeline Chiu Ph.D.: Communication, communication, communication. All kinds of communication, be it clear, lucid speaking (whether one-on-one, in small groups, or in large groups), good concise writing that isn't full of jargon and excrescences, or even the seemingly simple but absolutely crucial everyday interactions with the people around you. They can make or break a work or school environment. I don't mean mere etiquette. I mean building a real sense of community and human connection as a base for all the other things the school/company/etc. is trying to do. What can we do that robots can't do? Be human beings in communication and community with other human beings.
Another note on communication: we have all seen situations in which garbled announcements or backtracking/confusing directions have caused all kinds of problems then and later. Focus, clarity, and efficiency in communication are key. And look people in the eye.
Related to this is, of course, the ability to work with others in all kinds of different settings and configurations. Collaboration and cooperation are essential, but they too rest on a foundation of clear communication.
The ultimate soft skill, though, is a little harder to quantify. I'm talking about learning how to learn. Life comes at you fast, at work or school or home, and the ultimate human skill is adapting to situations as they arise and being able to pivot, be flexible, be resilient, be creative in responding, and be able to do all that while remembering that we are working as humans with other humans, and there is much we do not know, and much we do not know as well as we ought to or think we do. Patience, grace, empathy, humility are part of the equation.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Angeline Chiu Ph.D.: What I tell you today might not be applicable tomorrow! Tech changes so fast. The best thing I can tell you is to keep current on what's going on. Also: don't be afraid of new things. At the same time, remember that something isn't automatically better just because it's new. Perhaps the real skill I'm describing is figuring what is useful for your purpose and what isn't, and don't try to apply every single shiny new tech toy that comes along. And for goodness sake, be careful about data and security and those basics that you think everyone knows but so many people don't.
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Angeline Chiu Ph.D.: Learn how to learn. This will apply everywhere. And have the gumption to think for yourself. But in terms of sheer dollar signs, I can't really tell you because the job market is constantly changing, and that kind of volatility is part of life. If you want to snag a job with a good salary in any field at any time, it's not only the world of narrow technical skills that you need. Those skills will constantly need to be updated and retrained as tech changes, and it's changing so, so fast. Besides, remember what I said earlier about what we can do that robots can't. Work on the fundamental and eternally applicable human side skills and competencies that come from liberal arts and humanities, the lessons and enrichments of languages, history, archaeology, literature, theatre, music, the arts. Be a complex, resilient, constantly learning individual who can apply themselves in many ways, including ways we don't know yet will be necessary in a world of ever-changing jobs, of jobs soon to arise that don't exist yet. You are not a faceless cog in a machine. You are a human being with a heart and mind of your own.
Dr. Maria Bergstrom
Academic Advisor:Humanities and Modern Languages, Lecturer: Writing and Literature, Humanities Internship CoordinatorMichigan Technological University
Department of Humanities
What general advice would you give to a Foreign Language Instructor?
Dr. Maria Bergstrom: Even in the remote work and online world, I think networking remains the most critical skill for job-seekers. You can send out hundreds of resumes online, but it's the personal connections and hard work of meeting people and sharing your story with them that will get you a job (and later, a promotion). Students now need to learn how to use online resources (like LinkedIn or alumni databases and networking opportunities offered by their college or university) to connect with people in the field or industry where they want to work.
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Dr. Ashley Voeks: If a language instructor is applying for a teaching job, work experience, not skills, are the most important part of their resume or CV. If a language instructor is looking to branch out and find an industry job, "skills" are only relevant if and when a resume gets past an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and into human hands. In my experience, an ATS is only likely to let an applicant's resume through if it is properly formatted and tailored to the job ad. When an ATS scans a resume, it looks for the skills and years of work experience listed in the job ad and automatically tosses it if certain skills seem off, no matter how much they "stand out." In short: the skills that make a candidate stand out are the skills that the employer wants and specifies in the job ad itself.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Dr. Ashley Voeks: All of them. The trouble with soft skills is that they're not really resume showstoppers. Anyone can say that they have good communication skills, a sense of creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, etc. The time for a job seeker (language instructor or otherwise) to really wow a potential employer with their soft skills is during the interview or in an anecdote in the cover letter. The bottom line: all soft skills are important, but showing a potential employer how you developed them is key.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Dr. Ashley Voeks: In terms of non-teaching jobs for former language students and instructors, of the clients with language backgrounds that I've personally worked with, hard skills/technical skills varied the most from one job seeker to the next, depending on their second major and/or minor in college, as well as the internship opportunities that they'd had during their studies since an internship often requires a student to acquire one or several hard skills that they would not have otherwise needed. That said, the hard skills that stand out in my mind are sales (toward the top of the list; very transferable), UX (User Experience, designing products that give a meaningful and relevant experience to users by considering emotions, attitudes, etc.), video production, AI, Blockchain (a transparent ledger; stores encrypted blocks of data), project management, affiliate marketing, and mobile app development. These are just some hard skills that come to mind - there are many more!
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Dr. Ashley Voeks: Clients and recent graduates who have negotiated "high" salaries in entry-level positions have been able to speak to their communication, collaboration, and self-management skills but have also had some technical competencies from internships or online boot camps and workshops. High-earning skills include web design, graphic design, online course content creation, project management, UX design, IT support, coding, Blockchain, social media marketing, etc. Almost all these skills can be gained through certificate-granting online courses.
Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American CulturesArizona State University
Languages and Cultures
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.: It depends. First, for K-12 instructors, native or high proficiency is a must. Candidates that stand out are those that have deep translingual and transcultural competence. Resumes and letters of intent that stand out typically demonstrate interactive and real-life experiences such as community outreach, study abroad, or virtual international experiences. It is very important to demonstrate experience and personal skills reaching out to and interacting with communities that speak and produce the target language and literature. Why? Because teaching languages and literature is not just about making sure that students understand (decode) reading and aural materials. It is necessary to immerse students in different ways of feeling and thinking. Second, for college-level instructors, resumes that stand out demonstrate organizational and communicational skills. It may seem natural that a language and literature instructor knows how to communicate well. Yet, communicating well may not be the strength of many job seekers. Leaving aside the research skills required in many of these jobs, colleges and universities are looking for candidates with some administrative/organizational experience, proving that they can be creative and make projects a reality.
Moreover, resumes that stand out tell the story of a candidate that is not only knowledgeable in the subject matter but is also a good team player. Being a good team player implies that the candidate is a good intercultural communicator and emotionally self-aware. Today, language and literature classrooms require more interdisciplinary and collaborative work. Therefore, experience in interdisciplinary projects is a plus. Furthermore, colleges and universities are trying more and more to incorporate a professional outlook into their language courses. For these reasons, experience and/or training in second languages are becoming a more prominent requirement for many jobs. At the college level, the perfect candidate demonstrates not only a good research record and agenda; the perfect candidate possesses knowledge of digital humanities, course professionalization, and community outreach experience.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.: I mentioned some soft skills in my previous answer, but translingual and transcultural competence is necessary for effective communication and work collaboration. Transcultural competence requires understanding racial, ethnic, gender, age, disability, and structural issues in the workplace. It not only helps to avoid and resolve conflicts. Transcultural competence also helps to promote compassion and empathy. Translingual and transcultural competence are the foundation of work ethics. Furthermore, from year to year and from semester to semester, any instructor faces new protocols, new strategies, new pedagogical technologies, new teams, etc. Thus, the ability to adapt is another must.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.: Hard skills for languages and cultures are somehow flexible. Instructors need to know about new pedagogies, digital humanities, educational technologies, and social media literacy. But all these requirements change very fast, so instructors should evidence knowledge of all these hard skills and the ability to adapt fast to new ones. The present pandemic had demonstrated how most instructors quickly adapted to new virtual classrooms. We ought to always be ready for any change. For this and other pedagogical reasons, adaptability is one of the most needed values in language education.
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.: It depends on the individual ranks. Tenure-track professors, for instance, will need to prove research skills in the form of publications and grant applications in addition to other forms of educational engagements. However, something common to all language and literature instructors from K-12 to higher education is creative abilities to generate projects with students and projects within and surrounding communities. These skills can guarantee salary increases by the end of each year.
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.
Professor of English, Program Director MAHUMWilson College
English Department
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: In the academy, we often talk about English majors teaching students vital skills in critical thinking, communication, research, and analysis. An English major can be handed a project and know how to research the necessary components, compile them together in a clear and consistent format, and present that material to a client or supervisor with confidence. And I think the skill that really unites all of these aspects of the English major is independence. In our field, we ask students to articulate the rudiments of pragmatics, identify the meaning inherent to a seventeenth-century poem, and punch back at the masterpieces of the canon. No student can tackle such a diverse learning platform without a streak of independence that teaches them that, yes, scholars have been analyzing and deconstructing Shakespeare for 500 years, but no one has quite seen the text the way you have, and that's why you need to write about it. Heck, in a national conversation about higher education that strongly suggests that any major without a specific job title in its name should not even be considered, it takes someone who is a bit of a maverick to choose a major in English. But that independent streak serves our students really well in their careers and lives beyond college.
On a resume, I look for independence in that projection completion mode: acting as editor for student media; presenting a paper at a conference; writing a theatrical work; publishing; internships; etc. Anything that shows me that the applicant can tackle a project and get it done is what I am looking for.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: While college-and college students-are increasingly digital, students are becoming less and less technical. Even compared to 10 years ago, my students' technical knowledge has significantly declined. That is why I encourage my students to become proficient in some useful software suite, such as Adobe Creative Cloud. Taking one or two classes in any software suite is tremendously beneficial and can help an applicant to really stand out from other English majors.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: Communication and care. Communication in all of its forms-written, oral, public speaking, and interpersonal, one-on-one communication abilities are all vital. A confident communicator can work wonders in many fields.
Add to that care. The study of English is not just the study of language; it is the study of those narratives that shape and dominate humanity and the means through which we make and understand them. I can't think of a better way to learn and know people. But that should come through as an ethos of care. If you want to teach, you must care for your students. No matter the field an English major may find themselves in, an ethos of care will serve them well.
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: Self-advocacy. I am not suggesting every English major rush to their boss and demand a big raise, but our culture continually suggests one should apologize for majoring in a liberal arts field. I don't buy it. English majors are amazing at solving problems, facilitating communication, researching ideas, developing programs-they are, in short, the total package. And they have a tremendous capacity to learn new skills and new abilities. This is why students from my college, for example, end up in a huge variety of subject fields. We need to understand the value we bring to any organization as an English major.
Francesco Ciabattoni Ph.D.
Professor in Italian Literature in Georgetown College, Interim Director of Global Medieval StudiesGeorgetown University
Italian Department
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Francesco Ciabattoni Ph.D.: The ability to understand the world we live in and the world we come from. That is the best way to live a fulfilling life and earn money, respect, and happiness.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Francesco Ciabattoni Ph.D.: Communication skills, problem-solving skills, work ethic, flexibility, and interpersonal skills. These are all the result of a well-rounded humanistic formation, on which Georgetown University places great emphasis. Our goal is "Cura Personalis": the education of the whole person.
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.
Professor of EnglishUniversity of Houston - Downtown
College of Humanities & Social Sciences
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: When applying to be an instructor of English, your resume itself must be clean and totally without error. If you can't produce impeccable writing, why should your prospective employers believe that you can teach others to do so? A clean, complete, well-formatted resume reflects that you are a strong writer and editor, and these are critical skills. Of course, if you want to be an English instructor, some experience as a teacher is strongly preferred -- even if that is in informal contexts (e.g., leading training sessions at a previous place of employment or serving as a teaching assistant in graduate school).
What hard/technical skills are most important for Foreign Language Instructors?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: Writing, Editing, Teaching, Reading.
What soft skills should all Foreign Language Instructors possess?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: It is also important that you speak well -- that you are a good conversationalist. People in education want to hire people who will be collegial co-workers and have a dynamic classroom presence.
What skills will help Foreign Language Instructors earn the most?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: If you can document training in technical communication, professional writing, or rhetoric (as opposed to simply literature and/or creative writing), skills related to those sub-fields are highly valued by the corporate world and employers in the private sector -- the places that tend to pay people with backgrounds in English the most.
Dr. Regina Range Ph.D.
Associate Professor of German, German and Engineering Liaison, German/Engineering AdvisorThe University of Alabama
Department of Modern Languages and Classics
What skills stand out on Foreign Language Instructor resumes?
Dr. Regina Range Ph.D.: Looking at German instructor skills is too small of a scope. German (Studies) is (are) part of the humanities, a field in which we discuss and enhance our understanding of the nature and motivation of all human activities and culture. Our students, whichever field they may choose to work in (I am providing a list at the end of this text that shows some of the jobs that German majors/minors and graduate students go into, aside from becoming a German instructor), are equipped to ask and answer questions about what it means to be human, which stem from literature, the arts, and cultures they engage with during their German studies. Being able to discern historical precedents, identify effects and patterns of human behavior, and deal with impacts of such events - social, cultural, political, ecological, and demographical ones, to only name a few - are only some of the skills students of German achieve and bring to the job market.
Moreover, the pandemic has and continues to demonstrate the importance of a humanities background in the fields of public life: understanding the response to the crisis from one's own as well as from other cultures' perspectives and histories, while simultaneously being able to communicate in the target language, is undoubtedly a huge plus.
The intersectional approaches to complex problems are part and parcel of German (Studies). It prepares students to become aware of nuance in language, to pay close attention to communication style, identify as well as to understand cultural and public narratives. This is a highly transferrable skill set that aids in convincing the public to commit to collective and altruistic action-something that is clearly part of the everyday life of each (German) instructor who is granted the opportunity to work and inspire young minds in the current situation. -A situation that is tremendously challenging for all humans worldwide. It is also this understanding of interconnectedness, the ability and willingness to being globally-minded while acting locally, that results from learning German.
The interdisciplinarity of German (Studies), which consists of learning about and being well-versed in differing ethical, creative, cultural, and historical perspectives, makes for responsible, reflective, and informed citizens as well as skilled workers-who then, in their role as instructors, can instruct young people and inspire them to acquire the same or similar skillsets.
Aside from being able to translate, analyze information, and think critically, German instructors (and our German (Studies) students) are keenly aware of the importance of the arts and culture in community building and in how it can aid in recovery processes and building resilience.
As part of their instructional training, German teachers most recently also had to learn how to navigate and adapt to online teaching and learning. -A vital skill born out of the pandemic, which also challenged and continues to challenge instructors to quickly and creatively think about how to cater to both their students as well as their institutions' and districts' needs. Additional flexibility and reacting quickly to unprecedented circumstances while keeping everyone's different situations, abilities, and varying access to technology and connectedness in mind, is clearly a skill that German instructors acquired and one that will continue to be part of their future careers. Being able to quickly modify the curriculum based on students and their learning needs is a key skill. German instructors receive a robust foundation in teaching methodologies and are therefore aware that they continuously need to work on improving their own language skills and keep up with the current research enabling them to improve their instructional methods or technology.
As previously mentioned, German instructors, as well as students of German, have an abundance of skills, such as interpersonal communication, organizational, analytical problem-solving skills, the ability to articulate and argue for a point of view while considering different cultural standpoints, to write and edit intelligently and clearly, to work well both in groups and individually, to lead with both heart and mind, to be dependable when it comes to meeting deadlines while also being able to think creatively.-These are all skills that are also of interest outside of teaching and/or the academy. There are: 5,406 German companies in the U.S., 773,800 jobs, created by German companies in the U.S., German investment in the U.S. is $522 billion (https://www.rgit-usa.com/fileadmin/AHK_RGID/import/RGIT_GBM-Flyer_October2020.pdf) Reaching out to German companies in the U.S. to apply these skills presents a viable option for anyone who studies or studied German. Directly tapping into the German job market is also something to consider. Working or interning in Germany, just like any study abroad opportunity, presents a life-changing opportunity.
International experience is a game-changer for many, if not a must-have, in today's globalized world. 60% of companies consider the international experience in hiring and promotion. The importance of a study abroad experience cannot be underestimated. (QS Global Employer Survey Report 2011: How Employers Value an International Study Experience. http://content.qs.com/qs/qs-global-employer-survey-2011.pdf.) However, international experience alone does not suffice. Being able to develop and speak from a place of a global mindset is essential when aspiring to successfully operate in an international setting. It requires intercultural competence, the ability to appreciate both the differences and similarities between cultures, and the skill to communicate effectively in those settings. Those who study German are equipped with a versatile set of skills allowing them to apply to a wide range of careers.
A great example of dual degrees and career opportunities that arise from learning German is our IGSEP program here at the University of Alabama. It is a cooperation between Engineering and Germany. https://students.eng.ua.edu/programs/two-steps-ahead/IGSEP Students are trained to not only function but thrive in Germany (as well as in German-speaking contexts) and in their interactions with German colleagues. This innovative program provides them with the competitive edge needed in today's job market.)