Sign language teacher vs foreign language teacher

The differences between sign language teachers and foreign 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 sign language teacher and a foreign language teacher. Additionally, a sign language teacher has an average salary of $54,210, which is higher than the $53,918 average annual salary of a foreign language teacher.

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

Sign language teacher vs foreign language teacher overview

	Sign Language Teacher	Foreign Language Teacher
Yearly salary	$54,210	$53,918
Hourly rate	$26.06	$25.92
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	73,259	73,406
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a sign language teacher do?

A sign language teacher provides instruction in signed communication. They teach sign languages such as American Sign Language or British Sign Language to both deaf and hearing students. Fluency in sign language can significantly enhance quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing students.

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.

Sign language teacher vs foreign language teacher salary

Sign language teachers and foreign language teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sign Language Teacher	Foreign Language Teacher
Average salary	$54,210	$53,918
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $38,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Monterey, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Greenfield Union School District	Howard University
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between sign language teacher and foreign language teacher education

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

	Sign Language Teacher	Foreign Language Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Special Education	Linguistics
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Sign language teacher vs foreign language teacher demographics

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

	Sign Language Teacher	Foreign Language Teacher
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 18.6% Female, 81.4%	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between sign language teacher and foreign language teacher duties and responsibilities

Sign language teacher example responsibilities.

Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
Develop syllabus and overall class curriculum.
Re-Design the extensive ESL program.
Interface with the dean of instruction regarding the professional learning community (PLC) and teachers' and programs' evaluation.
Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative graphing, and charting exercises that develop problem-solving skills.
Train teachers using SIOP models and

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.

Sign language teacher vs foreign language teacher skills

Common sign language teacher skills

ESL, 76%
Student Learning, 7%
Classroom Management, 4%
Deaf Culture, 3%
Learning Styles, 3%
Foreign Language, 2%

Common foreign language teacher skills

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

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Sign Language Teacher vs Foreign Language Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

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