ESL instructors teach English as a second language in a variety of academic and professional contexts—both in the U.S. and overseas. The classes they teach may focus on listening, speaking, pronunciation, reading, and/or writing in English, and may be geared toward students with particular needs, interests, and goals.
Skills and Responsibilities
- Have expertise in linguistics and current language teaching methodologies
- Prepare teaching materials
- Have passion and talent for teaching diverse student populations
- Instruct students in one-on-one and group situations
- Give feedback on students’ work
- Have patience with students of varying levels of English proficiency
Education and Additional Requirements
- Not all ESL teaching jobs have the same requirements, but many ESL teaching jobs require one or more of the the following:
- B.A. in English or Linguistics
- TESL/TESOL certificate
- M.A. in English with an emphasis in TESL/TESOL; M.A. in Applied Linguistics; or M.A. in Education with an emphasis in TESOL
- Experience teaching
Where They Work
Multiple opportunities exist for teaching ESL abroad and in the U.S. Countries that hire ESL teachers include Japan, China, Korea, UAE, Thailand, and many others. In California, institutions that have recently posted jobs for ESL teachers include the Intercultural Institute of CA, UCLA Extension, and CSUSB.
Steven Gomez (B.A. 2007, M.A. 2012) ESL Instructor and Teacher Educator U.S. State Department and PH International