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Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

The occupation Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary covers people who teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. You may also need to prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. Interest ratings put Social on top at 7.0 out of 7 and Investigative second, so the code is SIA and the day leans toward helping, teaching or caring for people. Plan on graduate school and often five years or more of related experience; O*NET labels this extensive preparation. Strength in speaking, writing, and reading comprehension helps most here. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Includes teachers of American Sign Language (ASL). Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Main tasks

  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as how to speak and write a foreign language and the cultural aspects of areas where a particular language is used.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in scholarly journals, books, or electronic media.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Learning Strategies
  • Instructing
  • Active Listening

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
  • You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and writing.

May not suit you if

  • You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 2.1 out of 7 here.
  • You want to be working in the field within the next few years.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIA takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.

Preparation

Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Doctoral Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Foreign Languages Professor
  • French Professor
  • German Professor

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.