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Language instructor vs language teacher

The differences between language instructors and language 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 language instructor and a language teacher. Additionally, a language instructor has an average salary of $57,946, which is higher than the $51,413 average annual salary of a language teacher.

The top three skills for a language instructor include kids, classroom management and grammar. The most important skills for a language teacher are classroom management, english language, and student learning.

Language instructor vs language teacher overview

Language InstructorLanguage Teacher
Yearly salary$57,946$51,413
Hourly rate$27.86$24.72
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs45,06274,479
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

What does a language instructor do?

A language instructor is responsible for teaching the students to master a specific language, both written and oral instructions, as well as its structure, development, and history. Language instructors prepare engaging lesson plans and educational materials for the students' easy comprehension. They evaluate the students' progress by conducting assessments, identifying areas of improvement, and adjusting teaching strategies to address those difficulties. A language instructor must have extensive knowledge of their language expertise, responding to the students' inquiries and concerns accurately.

What does a language teacher do?

Language teachers primarily impart knowledge on multidimensional language through classes and activities. The teachers create conditions and develop activities allowing students to practice what they learned with significance. They immerse students in situational learning roles to write, read, converse, and learn different languages. Also, they are considered instrumental in establishing a supportive and positive learning environment. The teachers are also expected to be communicative and well-versed in the language/s they are teaching to their students.

Language instructor vs language teacher salary

Language instructors and language teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Language InstructorLanguage Teacher
Average salary$57,946$51,413
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $82,000Between $35,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CityMonterey, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyKern Community College DistrictThe Gow School
Best paying industryGovernmentEducation

Differences between language instructor and language teacher education

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

Language InstructorLanguage Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Language instructor vs language teacher demographics

Here are the differences between language instructors' and language teachers' demographics:

Language InstructorLanguage Teacher
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 44.2% Female, 55.8%Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 15.2% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.5% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between language instructor and language teacher duties and responsibilities

Language instructor example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage class; facilitate and teach conversational Tagalog including cultural aspects.
  • Distribute marketing materials to community organizations and businesses and lead community outreach strategy on behalf of ESOL department regarding various programs/schedules/opportunities.
  • Develop and implement communicative, task-base, learner-centered Tagalog language learning activities.
  • Design and teach ESOL classes to Hispanic senior citizens of mix language ability.
  • Identify and utilize effective methods to teach grammar, conversation skills and vocabulary to non-native speakers.
  • Design quizzes and exams including listening comprehension, grammar and vocabulary manipulation, and composition/ dialogue creation.
  • Show more

Language teacher example responsibilities.

  • Achieve a DLPT score of``3"in listening and reading in Korean for the first time during this period.
  • Administer Romanian language proficiency tests for walk-in candidates using the FSI test format and the ILR evaluation scale.
  • Develop a customize course syllabus and outline for to improve student language motivation and integration into the local community.
  • Post DLPT, assist and prepare soldiers for their exam.
  • Coach IPP students to master expressive and receptive skills in ASL laboratory.
  • Act as a liaison between DOD language students and native- speaking instructors.
  • Show more

Language instructor vs language teacher skills

Common language instructor skills
  • Kids, 11%
  • Classroom Management, 9%
  • Grammar, 7%
  • Course Content, 5%
  • Group Classes, 5%
  • Foreign Language, 5%
Common language teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 19%
  • English Language, 8%
  • Student Learning, 6%
  • Mandarin, 6%
  • Learning Environment, 6%
  • ESL, 5%

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