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Language specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
Brian O'Sullivan Ph.D.,
Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical language specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for language specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.5% of language specialist resumes contained english language as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a language specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 language specialist skills for your resume and career

1. English Language

Here's how language specialists use english language:
  • Coached clients in English language for business communication
  • Teach work-place English language skills such as giving business presentations, drafting emails, and making small talk.

2. Language

Here's how language specialists use language:
  • Facilitated decision- making for selection, adaptation and application of instructional English reading materials in dual language Italian private school.
  • Performed language coaching, business presentation, document translations and interpreting services for businesses entering the Brazilian market.

3. Foreign Language

A foreign language is a language that is not the official language spoken in a given state or country. It's a language that is native to another country but can be studied in addition to one's native language as a means of fostering international relationships among countries.

Here's how language specialists use foreign language:
  • Collect and develop media samples in foreign languages in various formats from multiple sources.
  • Assist in interpretation from English to foreign languages.

4. Proofreading

Here's how language specialists use proofreading:
  • Translate and proofreading Chinese patents documents; patentdata analyzing Work with IT dept.

5. Professional Development

Professional development means to have the essential training certification or education with the purpose of earning and having a successful career. Every job requires a different set of skills. However, new skills may be needed in the future. Professional development, in this regard, helps people to develop and polish the skills and become efficient workers.

Here's how language specialists use professional development:
  • Provided professional development for teachers to improve reading instruction.
  • Attend professional development days and seminars.

6. Language Services

Language services are services that are rendered to clients, customers, investors, or groups of persons with difficulty or inability to understand basic English. The service could also involve having established communication with the deaf and dumb using sign languages.

Here's how language specialists use language services:
  • Provided speech/language services to children in the inclusive preschool program and in the Multiply Disabled Kindergarten class.
  • State of NJ Department of Corrections - Trenton Provided speech/language services to students in residential facilities.

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7. Instructional Strategies

Here's how language specialists use instructional strategies:
  • Promoted and implemented research-based instructional strategies.
  • Plan and prepare lessons and instructional strategies which support the school improvement plan and the district mission.

8. Reading Comprehension

Here's how language specialists use reading comprehension:
  • Facilitated an extracurricular reading plan designed to encourage student's critical thinking skills alongside the development of stronger reading comprehension.
  • Created and taught course curriculum for Pronunciation and Reading Comprehension classes

9. Target Language

The target language is the language in which a text, document, or speech is translated into the final language. It is a foreign language that a non-native speaker intends to study or learn, as well as the individual elements of the language they want to learn. The target language is the opposite of the source text, which is the initial text to be translated.

Here's how language specialists use target language:
  • Identified authentic materials from copyright-permitted sources in the target language.
  • Prepare Foreign Service officers to be competent and confident in their target language in order to carry out their duties.

10. Language Acquisition

Here's how language specialists use language acquisition:
  • Administered academic and language assessments to evaluate student progress in language acquisition and achieving academic learning targets.
  • Provide proficiency based instruction to meet individual student s need using second language acquisition methods.

11. Language Arts

Language art refers to the ability to master a language.

Here's how language specialists use language arts:
  • Employed Teach science, reading, and language arts in Spanish to native and non-native Spanish speakers.
  • Create curriculum for Spanish Immersion Language Arts and Social Studies courses in 8th and 6th grades.

12. Translation Services

Translation Services turn spoken words or texts into another dialect. During the interpretation cycle, somebody with expertise in two dialects takes the words and context and places it into another dialect for others to understand.

Here's how language specialists use translation services:
  • Questioned, interrogated and provided translation services on suspects of illegal activities.
  • Render Written translation services and oral telephonic interpretation services.

13. K-12

K12 is a term that incldues all 12 years of education in the US education system. It includes the education offered at the primary stage, middle stage, and secondary stage. It includes children of ages as young as 5 to 18 years. The grades included in K12 are Kindergarten, the initial 5 stages, grades 6 to 8, and 9 to 12. This system is followed specifically followed in the US and may vary in other countries.

Here's how language specialists use k-12:
  • Provide proficiency testing for all students in the APS District ranging from grades K-12, in both English and Spanish.
  • Organized National Forum on Teaching and Learning for K-12 Educators for 8 years.

14. ESL

Here's how language specialists use esl:
  • Provided knowledge and leadership on the use of ESL best practices to teachers and Principals of assigned campuses.
  • Constructed and implemented a writing program for adult ESL students in ILUNO.

15. Interpretation Services

Interpretation services refers to the process of translating information from one language to another. These services can be for languages that are spoken or signed and require the translator to be fluent in both languages and even the tones necessary to convey the messages.

Here's how language specialists use interpretation services:
  • Performed translation and interpretation services between physicians and hospitalized patients.
  • Provide interpretation services at court hearings, depositions, and INS interview meetings.
top-skills

What skills help Language Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on language specialist resumes?

Brian O'Sullivan Ph.D.Brian O'Sullivan Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor and Chair, St. Mary's College of Maryland

I hear from our alumni that hiring managers are still, as always, excited to see resumes that hint in any way at the ability to write well. It's an ability that's not common enough. For example, if an engineer can write well enough to get complex ideas across clearly to managers and clients with less engineering sophistication, that gives them a massive advantage over competitors who have similar technical skills but are not good communicators.

What soft skills should all language specialists possess?

Lorena Cuya Gavilano Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American Cultures, Arizona State University

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 language specialists?

Julie Glosson

Professor of Language, Union University

-Language proficiency
-Knowledge of content
-Pedagogical Skills in Language Acquisition
-Professional Development

What language specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Christopher BlackwellChristopher Blackwell LinkedIn profile

Furman University

A super-productive gap-year would include (a) some customer-facing retail or service experience (waiting tables, bartending, barista, checkout clerk), (b) a course in statistics if the student didn’t pick that up in college, and (c) a course on some programming language (it doesn’t matter which). (B) and (C) could be from Udemy or Khan Academy.

What type of skills will young language specialists need?

Dr. Vanessa LazoDr. Vanessa Lazo LinkedIn profile

Department Chair, Professor of Spanish, Faculty Leader of the Year 2020-2021, Austin Community College

Now more than ever, students will need adaptability, critical thinking skills, flexibility, and problem-solving skills. These skills are put into play as students learn a foreign language, regardless of the level in which they seek proficiency in any of our language courses. Beyond our department, these skills are also examined throughout the LIberal Arts curriculum. Skills that can be unique to studying a foreign language would encompass forming a worldview while comparing, contrasting, and, more importantly, connecting with cultures from around our globe.

What technical skills for a language specialist stand out to employers?

Eric RossEric Ross LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Languages, North Dakota State University

Employers are looking for strong communication skills of both the modern and old-fashioned variety. Expertise in web design and social media are highly marketable. At the same time, employers are looking for people who are skilled writers and public speakers.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about language specialist

List of language specialist skills to add to your resume

Language specialist skills

The most important skills for a language specialist resume and required skills for a language specialist to have include:

  • English Language
  • Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Proofreading
  • Professional Development
  • Language Services
  • Instructional Strategies
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Target Language
  • Language Acquisition
  • Language Arts
  • Translation Services
  • K-12
  • ESL
  • Interpretation Services
  • Spanish Language
  • Instructional Materials
  • ELA
  • Style Guides
  • Language Curriculum
  • HTML
  • Public Schools
  • Reference Materials
  • Hindi
  • IEP
  • Korean Language
  • Web Content
  • Proofread
  • Urdu
  • QA
  • Target Audience
  • Government Officials
  • Dari
  • Teacher Training
  • PowerPoint
  • User Interface
  • Government Agencies
  • DEA
  • Language Training
  • Language Learning

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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