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Foreign Language Specialists

I want to be one
Who This Career is For?
This job is ideal for people who are interested in linguistics and those who are fluent in at least two different languages. This career is for people who enjoy communicating with other people, and those who are confident enough to express themselves in more than one language. Foreign language teachers/specialists must be patient and encouraging, and they must enjoy working with people. Most of all, they must understand the intricacies of languages, and be prepared to answer questions that even people fluent in a language may struggle to answer. Knowing how to speak/write a language is not enough.

A foreign language teacher/specialist must know how to guide individuals how to grasp the basics, and then the more complicated aspects of the language. Perseverance is essential in an individual who wishes to pursue this career.
Want to know more about it?
What exactly a career as a foreign language teacher or a foreign language specialist entails may depend on a large number of factors. One may choose to work for an elementary school, high school or a college. A specialist may also offer private tuitions in which he or she teaches the language to an individual or a small group of people.

Teaching a language at elementary school level will ensure a receptive classroom, with open minds that will be quick to learn. At high schools and colleges, language courses are generally paced to last a semester (normally 4 months). They may be beginner level courses, intermediate level courses or advanced level courses. Some colleges provide good research opportunities to foreign language specialists.

The general career allows for a large amount of flexibility, and someone who is fluent in a language may choose from a wide variety of jobs which involve various class sizes, age groups etc. A job as a foreign language teacher or foreign language specialist entails classroom management, preparing age and level appropriate lectures in advance, presenting or delivering lectures to students in class, grading work, administrative tasks such as keeping attendance records etc.

Moreover, foreign language teachers must constantly innovate to find exciting ways to teach the language to students so that they do not lose interest or get unmotivated.
What are Salary Prospects?
The amount that a foreign language teacher earns depends on a large number of factors. Most importantly, it matters what languages the teacher is able to speak. The statistics suggest that on average, foreign language teachers earn US $30,220. However, this figure may vary depending on what level one teaches the foreign language, and what country they are willing to teach in.

More experienced and renowned specialists are likely to be offered higher salaries, but the starting pay is notoriously low. However, it must be kept in mind that people often do other jobs on the side to make ends meet.
How is Life?
Life as a foreign language teacher depends primarily on who you work for. It is often a part time job, where you only have to go in during the time you have classes. However, the employer may choose to hire a full time teacher, in which case your hours may vary.

A career that involves teaching a foreign language may involve living away from home, where your native language is considered foreign, and there is a market of people who wish to learn that language. As a result, you might have to settle abroad at your own expense, and seeking a job as a language teacher in that foreign country.

The job generally entails time in the classroom. Part time teachers can go home after that, but they often have to take home exam papers and tests for corrections and grading. Moreover, at almost all levels, teachers must be available to the students (or in the case of younger students, their parents) outside their class timings. Day to day work involves dealing with students, answering queries and having lectures/presentations prepared for each class.
What Perks come along with this career?
The main perk associated with becoming a foreign language teacher/specialist is the flexible hours. Moreover, people generally feel a sense of satisfaction when they impart their knowledge to others who, over time, are successfully able to speak the language.

Besides the fulfillment, with an increasingly globalized world, the demand for foreign language teachers is expected to grow steadily. You are able to do alternate jobs on the side if your work hours are limited. Private tuitions may be given on the side, which can increase earnings. The best scenario would involve you just teaching a foreign language a couple of times a week for just a few hours.

This would give you plenty of free time to focus on other endeavors.
Which Downsides are there in this career?
There are a number of downsides involved to becoming a professional foreign language teacher. Firstly, you are generally assigned a target time, often unrealistically short, by the end of which your students are expected to have mastered the language. Meeting these deadlines can be stressful, and often impossible.

Students who take up introductory level language courses at college level are not always looking to learn the language. Rather, they are just looking forward to passing credits easily in order to avoid more difficult courses. Teaching unmotivated students is often disheartening.

The pay is generally quite average, unless one moves from their home. Even then, foreign language specialists are often forced to find alternative means of making extra money. Many try to get jobs in the foreign services, where their translator skills may earn them more benefits.
How is Competition?
The competition for becoming a foreign language teacher, like all other aspects of this career, depends on what language you wish to teach and where you plan to work. Generally, in India, competition for languages such as English is quite intense as there is an increasing number of people who are able to speak English fluently. However, demand is also growing rapidly so finding jobs, if one is fluent, is not too challenging.

The industry is expected to grow rapidly, particularly in countries such as India and China. The demand is likely to outgrow supply over the next twenty years, so the scope of a career as a teacher of a foreign language in India, as well as the rest of the world, is looking particularly promising.
Locations where this career is good?
There is demand for foreign language teachers in every location in the world. However, the demand for specific languages may vary from location to location. Generally, demand for foreign language instructors tends to be higher in urban areas such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata in India.

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