2020 Teaching English or French Degree Guide

Teaching a second language to a student can be a great way to open up their eyes to new experiences and perspectives. French and English as a second language are two fields with high demand. French teachers work in primary and secondary classrooms with students who may or may not be familiar with the language. ESL teachers have the important job of teaching students who are not native speakers of English.

Students in America who do not speak English are truly at a disadvantage. You can help students assimilate and adapt to the culture and language so that they have the necessary skills to succeed in school and in life. You will directly impact your students immediately as English is needed in every aspect of life in the U.S. You may work with students as young as Kindergarteners to adult learners.

Courses you will be required to take will include course in French or English as well as teaching courses such as literacy, contemporary issues, and educational psychology and also courses about other cultures.

A Recent Jump in Teaching English or French Degrees

In 2017-2018, teaching English or French was the 138th most popular major nationwide with 5,766 degrees awarded. This represents a 5.0% increase in English or French degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 5,480.

There are 51 schools offering degrees in teaching English or French in the United States. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of English or French programs later in this article.

Requirements for Getting a Degree in Teaching English or French

If you are interested in other languages and cultures and like to figure out how to effectively communicate with other people, this major is for you. You should have an open mind and be willing to learn from your students in order to help them succeed and develop.

Just like any other teacher, you should be creative, patient, and organized. These three traits will allow you to be effective and to be ready to teach. Just because you know the language doesn't mean that you'll be a good teacher. Students should work hard at improving their teaching skills and learn different instructional practices. This will allow you to connect with more students and different kinds of learners.

You should have a strong background in working with students either as a camp counselor or a coach or a tutor and you should also have strong content knowledge of French or English. You will also need to spend a semester teaching in a classroom.

Getting Accepted Into a Teaching English or French Program

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most English or French degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific English or French careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Types of Teaching English or French Degree

There are many different English or French degrees levels. You can get anything from a award taking less than 1 year in teaching English or French to the highest English or French degree, a research/scholarship based doctorate. How long it takes to complete some common English or French degree levels is shown below.

Degree	Credit Requirements	Typical Program Length
Associate Degree	60-70 credits	2 years
Bachelor’s Degree	120 credits	4 years
Master’s Degree	50-70 credits	1-3 years
Doctorate	Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation	At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to English or French, with approximately 61.3% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for English or French workers below.

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	64.6%
Master’s Degree	15.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	12.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate	1.9%

92.6% of English or French workers have at least a bachelor's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in teaching English or French have obtained.

This of course varies depending on which English or French career you choose.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In English or French Graduate

Majoring in English or French Education will allow you to become an English or French as a Second Language Teacher. You will work with smaller size classrooms and be a main support system for students who do not know the language. You will work with other teachers to try to help catch the student up to his peers. This is a job that will be in high demand as more students come to school from families who do not speak English.

Growth Projected for English or French Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your English or French degree? Teaching English or French careers are expected to grow 7.2% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to teaching English or French.

Occupation Name	Projected Jobs	Expected Growth
Elementary School Teachers	1,514,900	7.4%
High School Teachers	1,095,500	7.5%
Middle School Teachers	677,700	7.5%
Kindergarten Teachers	166,700	8.0%
Adult Education and Literacy Teachers	64,700	-5.1%

How Much Money Do English or French Grads Make?

Recently graduated teaching English or French students earned an average of $43,524 in 2017-2018. Earnings can range from as low as $13,400 to as high as $81,800. As you might expect, salaries for English or French graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

Highest Paid English or French Careers

Salaries for teaching English or French graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top 5 highest paying careers English or French grads often go into.

Occupation Name	Median Average Salary
High School Teachers	$64,340
Elementary School Teachers	$62,200
Middle School Teachers	$62,030
Kindergarten Teachers	$58,370
Adult Education and Literacy Teachers	$58,110

Getting Your Teaching English or French Degree

With over 637 different English or French degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased English or French school rankings to help you with this.

Teaching English or French Related Majors

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Teaching English or French has other similar majors worth exploring.

Most Popular Majors Related to English or French

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific	99,840
Educational Administration	44,405
Teacher Education Subject Specific	43,242
General Education	31,485
Special Education	31,128

View All English or French Related Majors >

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• O*NET Online

• Image Credit: By G0h4r under License