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Is becoming a foreign language teacher easier than becoming an English teacher?

I am interested in becoming a either a foreign language teacher or possibly teaching English and am wondering if there is a bigger process you must go through to teach a subject like Mathematics or Science than to be a foreign language teacher. #foreign-languages

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Manuel’s Answer

Rebekah,


To be a teacher of any sort you will follow the same path, for the most part. Teaching a foreign language is just like teaching any other school subject, the difference being that instead of being knowledgeable in Calculus, for example, you will have to be knowledgeable about French or Spanish or whatever language you choose. Requirements vary from state to state and school district to school district and maybe even from school to school. Some will require a bachelor's degree in the field you want to teach with a teaching certificate other will require a master's degree in the field but not a teaching certificate. It will also depend on the level at which you wish to teach. For example, college professors in general will require a PhD.


-Manuel
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David’s Answer

Hello,

To teach in a HS you'll have similar requirements regarding the education.... BA and credential at least. Depending on the language you might consider that English is taught everywhere in the US, but depending on the language you might have to look around for an available position.
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Alex’s Answer

The certification process for world language teachers is the same as for all teachers. When I became a French teacher through an alternative certification process (which means I had a different degree, and chose a very tough route of getting my teaching certification while already teaching), this was journey:

1. Earn my B.A.
2. Speak fluent French
3. Apply to a M.A. of Education
4. Prove my French skills. To do this, I sat for an in-depth interview with the dean of the French program at the university. I needed to take a course in translation and French history, as those were gaps in my knowledge that the dean had identified.
5. Pass the general teaching certification exam (for me, it was the Praxis)
6. Pass the French teaching certification exam (again, a Praxis test)
7. Find a job at a school
8. Complete the M.A. program and teach

Of these, steps 2 and 8 were by far the hardest! It takes a LOT of work to get to fluency in a language. If you have a knack for a certain subject, that is the easiest one for you to get certified in.

At the end, I was a fully licensed teacher. One difference for world language teachers is that they are often certified to teach all ages from K-12, while most other disciplines are specialized to elementary, middle, or high school levels.
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