What is a language teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Dr. Diana Jones,
Alexander Beringer
introduction image

If you love languages and are considering a teaching career, you may want to consider a position as a language teacher. Language teachers can work in schools, universities, or community colleges and seek to immerse their students in situational learning roles where the object is to learn to speak, read, and write in a foreign language. A language teacher is expected to be fluent or a native speaker of the language they are teaching and instruct students on grammar, syntax, and conversational phrases. They also provide information on linguistics, cultural practices, and norms related to the languages they teach.

Most language teachers in schools and universities have at least a bachelor's degree in the language they teach or native speakers who hold a related advanced degree. Language teachers that teach in public schools are required to have a teaching license or comparable certification.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, language school teachers in public schools can earn a median salary of $60,00 annually, and language teachers at the college or university level can earn more. Job growth in this field is projected to increase by 4% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a Language Teacher?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn Profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreLanguage TeacherUS Average
Salary
4.0

Avg. Salary $51,413

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.2

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 17.50%

Black or African American 6.19%

Hispanic or Latino 8.91%

Unknown 4.77%

White 62.35%

Gender

female 70.97%

male 29.03%

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
5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.7

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Language Teacher in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Language Teacher career paths

Key steps to become a language teacher

  1. Explore language teacher education requirements

    Most common language teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    64.1 %

    Master's

    22.6 %

    Associate

    5.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific language teacher skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Classroom Management19.28%
    English Language7.63%
    Student Learning6.25%
    Mandarin6.11%
    Learning Environment5.73%
  3. Research language teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Achieve a DLPT score of``3"in listening and reading in Korean for the first time during this period.
    • Administer Romanian language proficiency tests for walk-in candidates using the FSI test format and the ILR evaluation scale.
    • Develop a customize course syllabus and outline for to improve student language motivation and integration into the local community.
    • Post DLPT, assist and prepare soldiers for their exam.
  4. Prepare your language teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your language teacher 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 a language teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Language Teacher Resume templates

    Build a professional Language Teacher 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 Language Teacher resume.
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
    Language Teacher Resume
  5. Apply for language teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a language teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How Did You Land Your First Language Teacher Job

Zippi

Are you a Language Teacher?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average language teacher salary

The average Language Teacher salary in the United States is $51,413 per year or $25 per hour. Language teacher salaries range between $35,000 and $73,000 per year.

Average Language Teacher Salary
$51,413 Yearly
$24.72 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do language teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Language Teacher reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

I like sharing my mother tongue, help others to learn and use the language to communicate their ideas and thoughts. to know we contribute in people learning is rewarding


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance


profile
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.


Working as a Language Teacher? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

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.

Browse education, training, and library jobs