How To Become An ESL Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is an esl instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

David McMahan Ph.D.

Do you wish to be a second language instructor-the master of English? ESL instructors are no less than a blessing for students who know any language except English. Did you know they can earn up to $21.62 by teaching English for an hour? As English is considered the most spoken language across the world, the job is very much in demand to help people connect.

The minimum qualification required to get an ESL instructor's title is a master's degree in English literature. But various institutes also hire candidates who have achieved their bachelor's degree in English literature. This is a standard position demanding your services for 40 hours every week.

ESL instructors are bound to prepare lessons and design course content that covers every aspect of English. They are also responsible for customizing study plans for students with special requirements. Next time, whenever you wish to learn English, contact ESL instructors, and enrich yourself with their knowledge of English literature.

What general advice would you give to an ESL Instructor?

David McMahan Ph.D.

Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies, Franklin and Marshall College

Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.

ScoreESL InstructorUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,226

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.9

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.21%

Black or African American 7.30%

Hispanic or Latino 10.39%

Unknown 4.96%

White 65.85%

Gender

female 64.99%

male 35.01%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress Level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an esl instructor

Explore esl instructor education requirements

Most common esl instructor degrees

Bachelor's

64.1 %

Master's

24.9 %

Associate

5.2 %

Start to develop specific esl instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Grammar	12.64%
Classroom Management	12.30%
Language	10.08%
English Language	9.44%
Vocabulary	6.88%

Research esl instructor duties and responsibilities

Specialize in assisting low level learners using creative and modern teaching strategies to achieve unprecedent EFL movements.
Supervise and manage class; facilitate and teach conversational Tagalog including cultural aspects.
Prepare lesson plans according to establish syllabus and record student performance and submit IRS.
Work with faculty members on a special committee to enhance the EFL writing program.

Prepare your esl instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your esl instructor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an esl instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable ESL Instructor Resume templates

Build a professional ESL Instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your ESL Instructor resume.

Apply for esl instructor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an esl instructor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do esl instructors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

ESL Instructor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Pros

Making a difference in the lives of students and their families.

Cons

I do not enjoy the copious amounts of ever increasing paperwork.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021