Why We Love It
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$69,520Potential Avg. Salary
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11%Job Growth Rate
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Growing DemandJob Outlook
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Dependable Daily WorkloadCareer Attribute
The work of a French instructor involves providing assistance to students of all levels to learn French language skills from a basic conversational ability to complete fluency. To be successful in this career, you must have a thorough knowledge of the language.
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What is a French Instructor?
Duties
The duties of a French instructor are as follows:
- Thoughtfully create and deliver classes on the French language with a balanced progression in learning over the assigned course timeline. Coursework can include social French, grammar and phrasing, presentations and discussion, vocabulary and writing, etc.
- Develop a range of teaching-learning materials to support learners with various capabilities, e.g. adult learners, international students.
- Provide helpful feedback on progress levels of individual students and the class as a whole, on completed coursework and homework assignments.
- Adopt a range of learning techniques to ensure that students remain engaged and interested in grasping French, with the aid of different multimedia tools.
- Collaborate with other instructors and language advisors to provide adequate support and training for sessions where needed.
Day In The Life
As a French language instructor, you can expect to spend most of your time teaching different courses for varying time periods, to traditional students and adult learners. You must be well-versed in reading, writing and speaking French at a high proficiency level. The curriculum you teach can include grammar, accent correction, vocabulary, spelling, writing and other aspects of the language.
In addition, some of the other tasks you will have to be involved with includes creating interactive student activities, collaborating with other instructors, interacting with students and their parents on progress and participating in special events as needed. Depending on an organisation or school’s budget, you may also supervise activities outside the usual hours, such as providing guidance for a French club and participating in field trips such as a study abroad trip to give learners a first-hand experience of French language and culture.
Work Schedule
You may hold a part-time or full-time position as a French instructor. Depending on the organisation and type of instruction, you may have regular or flexible hours. For instance, working at an educational institution like a high school or college will result in fixed day timings, but working at a tutoring business can lead to different shifts.
Growth Of The Job
The job prospects of a French instructor are expected to rise steadily. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), job opportunities for teachers will increase by 6% and 11% for those at high schools and foreign language postsecondary positions, respectively, between 2014 and 2024. There is a definite shortage of well-qualified foreign language instructors and the growing student enrolment will create new roles for bilingual educators like French instructors.
Typical Employers
As a French instructor, you can find work with academic institutions like high schools, middle schools, colleges, universities and specialized language institutes catering to students. There are also many online French learning courses that require the support of experienced instructors – these are targeted at older students who want to brush up their language skills. You will generally use a wide range of multimedia support like audio, video, one on one discussions, etc. to promote learning effectiveness. Some examples of potential employers in this sector include VOR Technology, Alta Language Services Inc., Premier Management Corporation and Yorktown Systems Group, Inc.
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How To Become a French Instructor
Most successful French instructors hold a bachelor’s degree in either French or education. To teach students, you must also gain a teaching certification where applicable. A teaching certification requires you to complete an accredited degree program, gain experience teaching in a classroom and a written exam – based on the state you are located in.
It is not sufficient to have the degree but demonstrate a thorough grasp of the language to excel in this field. Your coursework should also include important topics such as pedagogy and the science of teaching. Completing a minor in another language will also be beneficial, e.g. Spanish or Italian – in this case, you would spend a semester abroad immersing yourself in the language dynamics and pass an oral proficiency exam in said language before teaching students.
In college or university level, you may have to complete a master’s degree to teach French while some may even require a doctoral degree. It is a more demanding career path than teaching in postsecondary schools. However, non-traditional employers like language tutoring services, online language learning websites, etc. will be less stringent about language competencies.
French Instructor Salary Data
We’ve provided you the following to learn more about this career. The salary and growth data on this page comes from recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data while the recommendations and editorial content are based on our research.
National Anual Salary
Low Range
$45,630Average
$69,520High Range
$118,530National Hourly Wage
Low Range
---Average
---High Range
---How do French Instructor salaries stack up to other jobs across the country? Based on the latest jobs data nationwide, French Instructor's can make an average annual salary of $69,520, or --- per hour. On the lower end, they can make $45,630 or --- per hour, perhaps when just starting out or based on the state you live in.
Salary Rankings And Facts
#202 Nationally for All Careers
Above Average Salary Nationally
Programs and Degrees
Here are the most common degrees for becoming a French Instructor. a is usually recommended and specifically a degree or coursework that prepares you for the particular field, see below.
Highest Education Among French Instructors
- 43.3% Doctorate
- 35.7% Masters
- 16.2% Bachelors
- 2% Associates
- 2.4% College
- 0.2% High School
- 0.2% Less than High School
Job Growth Projections and Forecast
2014 Total Jobs
37,2002024 Est. Jobs
41,300Job Growth Rate
11%Est. New Jobs
4,100How does French Instructor job growth stack up to other jobs across the country? By 2024, there will be a change of 4,100 jobs for a total of 41,300 people employed in the career nationwide. This is a 11% change in growth over the next ten years, giving the career a growth rate nationwide of Above Average.
Growth Rankings And Facts
#160 Nationally for All Careers
Above Avg. Growth Nationally
What Companies Employ The Most French Instructors
| Industry | Current Jobs | New Jobs Needed | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; private | 14,100 | 1,900 | 2% |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state | 11,900 | 500 | 1% |
| Junior colleges; local | 4,700 | 600 | 1% |
