Foreign language teacher vs spanish teacher

The differences between foreign language teachers and spanish teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a foreign language teacher and a spanish teacher. Additionally, a foreign language teacher has an average salary of $53,918, which is higher than the $52,445 average annual salary of a spanish teacher.

The top three skills for a foreign language teacher include classroom management, student learning and mandarin. The most important skills for a spanish teacher are classroom management, spanish language, and student learning.

Foreign language teacher vs spanish teacher overview

	Foreign Language Teacher	Spanish Teacher
Yearly salary	$53,918	$52,445
Hourly rate	$25.92	$25.21
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	73,406	54,666
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a foreign language teacher do?

A Foreign Language Teacher helps students to learn a foreign language. They participate in school-wide activities, like recruiting new students, workshops, and other special events.

They also note how well learners participate in the learning discussions, grade their homework assignments, and evaluate their performances.

What does a spanish teacher do?

A Spanish teacher is responsible for teaching the Spanish language, including its history and culture, both written and conversational. Spanish teachers follow the curriculum, depending on the students' expertise level and evaluate their progress through oral and written assessments. A Spanish teacher must develop effective lesson plans, focusing on Spanish grammar and composition, identifying students' improvement areas to adjust lesson outlines. Spanish teachers must have excellent knowledge and expertise with the Spanish language and engaging activities to further students' development.

Foreign language teacher vs spanish teacher salary

Foreign language teachers and spanish teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Foreign Language Teacher	Spanish Teacher
Average salary	$53,918	$52,445
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $74,000	Between $38,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Monterey, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Alaska
Best paying company	Howard University	King Low Heywood Thomas
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between foreign language teacher and spanish teacher education

There are a few differences between a foreign language teacher and a spanish teacher in terms of educational background:

	Foreign Language Teacher	Spanish Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Linguistics	Education
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Foreign language teacher vs spanish teacher demographics

Here are the differences between foreign language teachers' and spanish teachers' demographics:

	Foreign Language Teacher	Spanish Teacher
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%	Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between foreign language teacher and spanish teacher duties and responsibilities

Foreign language teacher example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage class; facilitate and teach conversational Tagalog including cultural aspects.
Work in conjunction with foreign language department in curriculum design and instructional strategies.
Conduct after school ESL courses for teachers.
Redesign curricular program to align with ACTFL performance guidelines and standards.
Collaborate with local administrators to create curriculum suitable for ESL students.
Evaluate entrance examination and place students in appropriate language level and coordinate language proficiency testing for all students.

Spanish teacher example responsibilities.

Create dynamic lesson plans, activities and content to help students achieve oral proficiency according to ACTFL standards.
Plan and instruct elementary (Pre-K to 6th grade) Spanish language emphasizing vocabulary, pronunciation, reading and spelling.
Conduct mathematics, language, and cultural studies lessons exclusively in Spanish as part of the school's full immersion program.
Prepare students for state assessments in ELA.
Collaborate with freshman teachers on month-long debate project.
Teach students study skills, note-taking skills, and test-taking strategies.

Foreign language teacher vs spanish teacher skills

Common foreign language teacher skills

Classroom Management, 14%
Student Learning, 10%
Mandarin, 7%
Target Language, 6%
Public Schools, 6%
Professional Development, 5%

Common spanish teacher skills

Classroom Management, 17%
Spanish Language, 12%
Student Learning, 6%
Professional Development, 6%
Public Schools, 4%
IV, 3%

Foreign Language Teacher vs. similar jobs

Foreign Language Teacher related careers

Foreign Language Teacher related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Foreign Language Teacher
Foreign Language Teacher vs Spanish Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs