For those who are living in the United States, it is essential to have a good grasp on the English language in order to be fully independent and successful. If you have an ear for languages, are passionate about teaching and want to help others succeed through learning, you might want to consider concentrating your education major in English as a second language (ESL).
Education
According to the College Board, an ESL major often leads to a graduate degree which means you will have to be willing to pursue your education further than a four-year undergraduate degree. Courses students typically take for this major, aside from general education degree courses, include intercultural communication, methods of teaching ESL, structure of English and applied linguistics. You’ll likely be put in many hands-on situations within different ESL classrooms to observe different teaching strategies as well as complete your own semester of student teaching.
What to know before you apply
There is a growing opportunity for ESL teachers both in the United States and internationally who are good communicators and interested helping students of other cultures succeed. While you don’t have to be fluent in another language, you still have to study at least one other foreign language and be able to communicate with your students. When looking into different schools, students should be sure their program has been approved by the state’s department of education, whether the program focuses more on practice or theory and that recent grads have been finding jobs. Students should be ready to gain a lot of experience, both as a student teacher and a volunteer.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a career as an adult educator teaching ESL averages $24.23 an hour as of 2009. If you’re interested in a related career that’s not in education, a career as a translator or interpreter earns an average salary of $45,700 as of 2009
