Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-1124.00United States

Teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Includes teachers of American Sign Language (ASL).

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $84,440
Projected change: +9.1%
Typical education: Doctoral degree or more
Employment: 1.78M jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
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.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Keep abreast of developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional organizations and activities.
Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Write letters of recommendation for students.
Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
Organize and direct study abroad programs.
Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
Participate in campus and community events.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $49,147
25th percentile: $62,814
50th percentile: $84,440
75th percentile: $118,952
90th percentile: $175,749

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $84,440 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+9.1%faster than average

20251,782,325 jobs

2035 projected1,944,527 jobs

162,202 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Doctoral degree or more: 73.4%
Master's or Professional degree: 17.8%
Bachelor's degree: 8.7%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Linguistics
Pedagogy
Language Education
Curriculum Development
Online Teaching
Syllabus Development
Learning Management Systems
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Language Acquisition
Applied Linguistics
Student Learning Outcomes
Educational Technologies
Lesson Planning
Distance Learning
Adult Education
Talent Management
Student Engagement
Social Sciences
Educational Assessment
Cultural Studies

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Adjunct Faculties276 postings
02Adjunct Spanish Instructors211 postings
03Adjunct Instructors161 postings
04Spanish Lecturers90 postings
05American Sign Language Instructors61 postings
06French Lecturers57 postings
07Foreign Language Instructors47 postings
08Faculties36 postings
09Online Faculties30 postings
10Bilingual Customer Support Representatives28 postings
11Adjunct English Faculties26 postings
12Adjunct Professors of French26 postings
13Adjunct Lecturers24 postings
14Lecturers in Gender Studies24 postings
15Speakers24 postings
16Lecturers in Hospitality23 postings
17Lecturers in Literature22 postings
18Adjunct Graduate Faculties20 postings
19English Faculties19 postings
20Japanese Teachers19 postings

Top employers

01Kern Community College District63 postings
02Herc55 postings
03Tennessee Board of Regents40 postings
04American Public University System32 postings
05California State University-Fullerton30 postings
06Muskegon Community College24 postings
07Cisive23 postings
08College of DuPage21 postings
09Dataforce21 postings
10Westchester Community College21 postings
11Texas State University17 postings
12South Orange County Community College District16 postings
13University of Maryland Global Campus16 postings
14University of California15 postings
15University of Cincinnati15 postings
16Antelope Valley College14 postings
17California State University-Chancellors Office14 postings
18Brigham Young University13 postings
19Broward College13 postings
20Lone Star College System13 postings

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