Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

Types of Degrees Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,038
Graduate Certificate	1,049
Basic Certificate	565
Bachelor’s Degree	297
Undergraduate Certificate	34
Doctor’s Degree	23
Associate Degree	11

What Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors

A major in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors

As you progress with your teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Major?

People with a teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	7.4%	$58,230
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	8.0%	$55,470
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$58,600
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor?

The major attracts more women than men. About 84% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	16
Black or African American	8
Hispanic or Latino	83
White	144
International Students	29
Other Races/Ethnicities	17

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor. About 9.8% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

Some degrees associated with teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.3%
Some College Courses	0.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	64.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	12.3%
Master’s Degree	15.7%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.9%
Doctoral Degree	0.9%

Online Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	17	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	6	1
Bachelor’s Degree	211	59
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	234	52
Post-Master’s	58	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	11	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor.

Major	Number of Grads
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other	13

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By G0h4r under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.