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World language teacher vs foreign language instructor

The differences between world language teachers and foreign language instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a world language teacher and a foreign language instructor. Additionally, a foreign language instructor has an average salary of $62,177, which is higher than the $53,288 average annual salary of a world language teacher.

The top three skills for a world language teacher include world language, public schools and student performance. The most important skills for a foreign language instructor are tagalog, classroom management, and ILR.

World language teacher vs foreign language instructor overview

World Language TeacherForeign Language Instructor
Yearly salary$53,288$62,177
Hourly rate$25.62$29.89
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs73,20045,303
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

What does a world language teacher do?

World language teachers are charged with teaching new languages to students. Depending on the learning institution they work for, a world language teacher might be tasked with managing a single classroom. This position requires complete fluency in the language or languages taught.

What does a foreign language instructor do?

The responsibility of a foreign language teacher is to teach students any language that is not their mother tongue. They speak, write, and comprehend foreign language to students, which often includes cross-cultural studies and literature instruction. They teach at all education levels and in government and corporations. Those teaching at the college level requires an advanced degree like a doctoral degree or master's degree. They may also specialize in the language they want to become an expert in.

World language teacher vs foreign language instructor salary

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

World Language TeacherForeign Language Instructor
Average salary$53,288$62,177
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $74,000Between $44,000 And $87,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYMonterey, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew Hampshire
Best paying companyThe University of ChicagoMiddlebury College
Best paying industryGovernmentRetail

Differences between world language teacher and foreign language instructor education

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

World Language TeacherForeign Language Instructor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorEducationEnglish
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

World language teacher vs foreign language instructor demographics

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

World Language TeacherForeign Language Instructor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 27.0% Female, 73.0%Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between world language teacher and foreign language instructor duties and responsibilities

World language teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Assist in developing a kindergarten dual-immersion curriculum that combine D.C. Standards with language-rich thematic units and project-base learning.
  • Prepare lessons utilizing PowerPoint and PollEverywhere.
  • Deliver effective classroom presentation techniques and review, correct and reinforce instructional lessons to enhance the learning and retention process.

Foreign language instructor example responsibilities.

  • Distribute marketing materials to community organizations and businesses and lead community outreach strategy on behalf of ESOL department regarding various programs/schedules/opportunities.
  • Design syllabus, class events, and study material to prepare students to succeed in the class.
  • Develop course syllabus, curriculum and teaching materials.
  • Develop an interactive and student centered Arabic language curriculum for teaching young learners basic Arabic communication, writing and reading skills.
  • Counsele students on language skills, study strategies and goals, and recommend supplementary educational material for self-study and exam preparation.
  • Distribute marketing materials to community organizations and businesses and lead community outreach strategy on behalf of ESOL department regarding various programs/schedules/opportunities.
  • Show more

World language teacher vs foreign language instructor skills

Common world language teacher skills
  • World Language, 19%
  • Public Schools, 14%
  • Student Performance, 12%
  • Instructional Materials, 12%
  • English Language, 7%
  • Assessment Tools, 6%
Common foreign language instructor skills
  • Tagalog, 14%
  • Classroom Management, 12%
  • ILR, 11%
  • Language Learning, 11%
  • Language Teaching, 9%
  • Grammar, 7%

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