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.
Language instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real language instructor resumes:
- 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.
- Prepare students for ESL exam.
- Tutor adult students and prepare them to pass U.S. citizenship examinations and interviews.
- Experience includes split-level classes and special education IEP accommodations.
- Design and implement course syllabus for adult learners to improve daily literacy.
- Disseminate journal contents/relevant literature to agricultural research scientists at locations within and outside Nigeria.
- Deliver specific formal Arabic language programs for executives and non-Arab personnel working in Iraq.
- Monitor students' language improvements through periodic testing and arrange additional tutoring as needed.
- Prepare students to understand and demonstrate achievement against all strands of IB subject-specific criteria.
- Develop a community project with Bhutanese refugee community to support the concept of engage citizenship.
Language instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Language Instructors are proficient in Kids, Classroom Management, and Grammar. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Language Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Kids, 11%
Instructed curriculum in Japanese Language and Culture across 5 Kids R Kids schools in northern Cincinnati.
- Classroom Management, 9%
Maintain good classroom management through setting and maintaining age-appropriate expectations and modifying when necessary to maximize student learning.
- Grammar, 7%
Teach English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation Time-management and student discipline Evaluation of assignments and progress Design and facilitate lesson plans
- Course Content, 5%
Collaborated with peers to develop a standardized curriculum and improve course content.
- Group Classes, 5%
Led 1 on 1 coaching classes and small group classes up to 15 students throughout locations in South Korea.
- Foreign Language, 5%
Promoted intercultural exchange in isolated areas of rural Japan through foreign language education, community involvement, and volunteer work.
"kids," "classroom management," and "grammar" are among the most common skills that language instructors use at work. You can find even more language instructor responsibilities below, including:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a language instructor to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what language instructors do because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Additionally, a language instructor resume shows how language instructors use interpersonal skills: "position utilized my strong teaching, grammar and interpersonal skills. "
Speaking skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling language instructor duties is speaking skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." According to a language instructor resume, here's how language instructors can utilize speaking skills in their job responsibilities: "acted as a liaison between dod language students and native-speaking instructors, resolving classroom conflicts and academic issues. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for language instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how language instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a language instructor: "allowed balance between knowing about language and using language integration of speaking, writing, reading, vocabulary and grammar. ".
The three companies that hire the most language instructors are:
- MultiLingual Solutions21 language instructors jobs
- CACI International12 language instructors jobs
- University of Montana9 language instructors jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable language instructor resume templates
Build a professional language instructor resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your language instructor resume.
Compare different language instructors
Language instructor vs. Summer school teacher
A Summer School Teacher is a teacher who works during the summer period. They develop and implement schemes of work and lesson plans in line with curriculum objectives. Generally, they have the same duties as a school teacher.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, language instructor responsibilities require skills like "grammar," "course content," "group classes," and "foreign language." Meanwhile a typical summer school teacher has skills in areas such as "math," "professional development," "cpr," and "mathematics." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Summer school teachers earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $51,590. On the other hand, language instructors are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $67,787.summer school teachers tend to reach similar levels of education than language instructors. In fact, summer school teachers are 2.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Language instructor vs. Adjunct faculty
Adjunct faculty is the collective term for adjunct professors or lecturers. The adjunct faculty teaches students based on the limited-term of their contract. Oftentimes, they teach preparatory or introductory courses by semester arrangement for the entire academic year. Most of them are employed in higher education. Unlike regular professors, adjunct faculty do not have benefits and are not required to be present in meetings. They can work as either a contract professor or a part-time professor.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real language instructor resumes. While language instructor responsibilities can utilize skills like "kids," "grammar," "group classes," and "foreign language," adjunct faculties use skills like "student learning," "philosophy," "professional development," and "course syllabus."
On average, adjunct faculties earn a higher salary than language instructors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, adjunct faculties earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $115,189. Whereas language instructors have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $67,787.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Adjunct faculties tend to reach higher levels of education than language instructors. In fact, they're 12.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for language instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Larry Herzberg Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Asian Languages, Director of Asian Studies, Calvin University
Language instructor 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from language instructor resumes include skills like "kids," "grammar," "course content," and "group classes," whereas a student teacher is more likely to list skills in "math," "language arts," "social studies," and "kindergarten. "
Student teachers earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $54,049. Comparatively, language instructors have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $67,787.student teachers typically earn lower educational levels compared to language instructors. Specifically, they're 7.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Language instructor vs. French teacher
A french teacher specializes in teaching the french language among students. Although the extent of their responsibilities usually depends on their institution or company of employment, it usually includes preparing lessons and coursework plans, presenting audio and visual learning materials, organizing individual and group activities, administering examinations, grading quizzes and tests, and assisting students as necessary. Moreover, as a french teacher, it is essential to monitor the students' progress while maintaining a healthy and effective learning environment for everyone.
Types of language instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
