ESL, Bilingual, and TESOL workers specialize in providing students with instruction in the English language. ESL and TESOL workers often focus on teaching adult students who wish to improve their written and spoken English. The work of the Bilingual Classroom Teacher is done in a classroom setting, where they work with school-age students who are learning English as a second language.

All of these teaching careers require an excellent knowledge of all aspects of written and spoken English, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and pronunciation. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are very important personal attributes, as well as:

• patience
• tact
• cultural sensitivity

Bilingual Classroom Teachers should also have a strong commitment to child welfare and education.

Both ESL and TESOL teachers should aim to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. ESL and TESOL Teachers must also obtain specialist training by completing an accredited undergraduate or graduate program, depending on their previous qualifications and state requirements.

The Bilingual Classroom Teacher must be a qualified Teacher (requiring a Bachelor’s degree and Teacher’s training as a minimum), and must also be certified to work as a Bilingual Teacher, according to their state’s requirements.

The career outlook for ESL, TESOL, and Bilingual Classroom Teachers is very good, with the US Department of Labor predicting faster-than-average growth through to 2016. This is based on predictions of increased employer requirements in terms of adult literacy standards, and the growing need for bilingual teachers in schools.

People in ESL and TESOL careers can earn salaries of between $25,000 and $75,000, largely depending on their experience, qualifications and place of employment. The median salary for ESL and TESOL Teachers is approximately $44,000. Bilingual Classroom Teachers earn an average salary of approximately $45,000, depending on their level of experience and qualifications.

‘English as a Second Language’ Teachers specializing in teaching English to people who have grown up with a language other than English as their ‘first’ language. Often an ESL Teacher will work with adults who have very little, if any knowledge of the English language. Typically an ELS Teacher works in an English-speaking country (if they work in a non-English-speaking country they are known as TESOL workers).

The primary role of the ESL Teacher is simply to teach their students how to speak English well enough that they can function as productive members of the society they now live in. They will most often do this in a classroom setting. However, as other teachers do, the ESL Teacher has many other tasks associated with that role. For example, the ESL Teacher must prepare lesson plans, develop classroom activities, and prepare tests and examinations. In addition, they may be responsible for planning extra-curricular outings that allow their students to use conversational English outside of the classroom.

An ESL Teacher must have excellent knowledge of written and conversational English, and be able to teach their students the important aspects of the English language they need to adapt to life in an English-speaking country. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills, good listening skills, and good interpersonal skills. Confidence and patience are important personal skills for an ESL Teacher, as well as the ability to work with people from a variety of different cultural backgrounds.

The US is very much a multicultural country, with schools teaching students from a wide variety of countries and cultures. As such, Bilingual Classroom Teachers are in high demand. The Bilingual Classroom Teacher typically works in a school classroom setting, providing instruction to bilingual students. Most often, they work with students who are learning English as a second language, and need extra help and instruction during classroom lessons.

The Bilingual Classroom Teacher has very much the same duties as any other type of teacher, including:

• developing lesson plans
• teaching students
• preparing evaluative exercises

However, they are also able to provide ESL students with special help and instruction in English, and are better equipped to understand the particular needs of their bilingual students.

Bilingual Classroom Teachers should have excellent communication skills in both English and their second language, as well as a strong focus on the welfare of their students. Excellent interpersonal skills are also an important requirement. The Bilingual Classroom Teacher must be able to work well not only with their students, but also with parents and with other members of staff. Leadership skills, patience, confidence, and cultural sensitivity and awareness are important personal attributes.

TESOL Teachers are ‘Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.’ Their role and function is very similar to that of ESL Teachers, however for the TESOL Teacher, their work is typically located in countries where English is not the national language.

While the main role of the TESOL Teacher is to provide students with English instruction, they also have a number of preparatory duties in addition to work in a classroom setting. They must prepare lesson plans and activities, develop evaluative tests and exercises, and source or prepare language resources. In addition, they must often adapt their lessons according to the needs of individual students.

TESOL Teachers must have a very good grasp of all aspects of the English language, including grammar, punctuation and pronunciation. They should have excellent:

• interpersonal
• communication
• listening skills
• confidence
• patience
• tact

Cultural sensitivity and awareness are also important qualities, as TESOL Teachers spend much of their working life in non-English-speaking countries.