Language-Related Careers in Education
While being a kindergarten teacher is an incredibly rewarding career, it is not for everyone! Explore below some of the careers available in education that greatly benefit from/require language skills.
Licensing can quickly become very complicated, and especially for niche positions, often needs to be addressed on a situational basis. Below I have included resources to point you in the right direction, but feel free to reach out if you have a unique situation. Future teachers — don’t let the bureaucratic side of education discourage you!
Note: Per DPI, “Private schools are not obligated to employ only licensed or certified teachers.” However, in order to establish legitimacy, many of these schools do require their applicants hold typical public-school licenses. There may be more flexibility in these schools, though, if you do not have “perfect” licensure. A major in education studies (a non-licensure path) for example, could be accepted in a private setting with adequate experience.
Licensure Age/Grade Ranges
Note: the MC-EA will soon include K-9 rather than 1-8.
Source: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/tepdl/pdf/Intro-Pathways-Handout.pdf
Heritage Language Education
Heritage language education is quickly becoming a popular form of language education that is “designed for students who have had previous exposure to the language, cultural connections to it, and some proficiency in it.” It recognizes that students who have been exposed to a particular language growing up will come to school with a different set of needs and skills from students who are experiencing the language for the first time. The goal is to honor and validate the language students bring from home while simultaneously helping them develop their academic/formalized language skills. This program is most commonly offered for Spanish and Hmong. These courses are often offered in the upper grades. There is not a specific heritage language license, but having a teaching license is required, as is a relevant area such as ESL or the target language or experience as a speaker of the target language yourself. See interviews with Michaela Miller and Jenna Cushing-Leubner to learn more about these programs.
Bilingual/Dual Language Immersion
This is where things get complicated! DLI and other bilingual programs require teachers with a proficiency in both languages, but the specific licensing requirements can vary and often are flexible. Because there is such a need for teachers in these programs, and because not many colleges offer undergrad licensing programs, often educators can be required under an emergency license, which allows them to start out without a bilingual certification, but actively work to pursue it that first year in class so they are able to become a full-fledged licensed educator the following year.
Bilingual education programs in general refer to students getting instruction in a non-English language or being supported with their non-English background in mind. There are many forms of bilingual education, and DLI happens to be one of them. In DLI, the target is to have half of the students come from a monolingual English household and the other half come from a household where the target language is the primary language spoken.
An ESL certification is required prior to becoming a bilingual educator.
Speech Language Pathologist
Bilingual SLPs are hard to find, but they are oh so valued and sought after. Providing speech and language support for multilingual students requires an entirely different, specialized type of knowledge, and can be crucial in helping advocate for students keeping and developing their languages. Especially when it comes to differentiating between a diagnosable disorder and typical multilingual development, SLPs can change the trajectory of a child’s education and language.
As a SLP, you can work in a school or in more of a private practice outside setup. Check out the Milwaukee Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologists. As is presented on the post-secondary programs page, Marquette has a dedicated bilingual SLP program.
Wisconsin DPI guide on SLPs working with Spanish speakers
Licensing requirements Licensing summary
Services for students with speech and language disabilities
Flyer for monthly chats with other SLPs via the DPI
Wisconsin Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Association
Use of Paraprofessionals to Support SLPs
Paraprofessionals that work along licensed SLPs are called extenders. This can be a great way to use your multilingual skills if you have an interest/background in languages and speech but don’t necessarily have a license!
Special Education
Similar to SLP positions, a multilingual individual working in special education often becomes a crucial advocate for students. I interviewed several individuals working in/studying to work in the intersection of special education and language, so I would highly recommend checking those out (search by keyword on the interview page!).
Music Teacher
Share the joy of language through music! Frequently, DLI schools are forced to hire English-speaking “specials” teachers because they can’t find multilingual individuals who work in these areas. You would be in high demand!
Music educators are certified in Wisconsin PK-12.
Since many music educators come from backgrounds of music performance/other involvement in music that doesn’t necessarily involve education, there is a specific pathway available (professional teaching permit).
District Technology/ Technology Education
This is a great career path to fuse interests in computers/technology and working with kids (but most of the time it ends up being teachers!). Being able to help families, lead lessons in language classes in the target language, and help out students who do not speak English as their primary language are all ways your multilingual skills are valuable in this position!
School Nurse
Multilingual abilities can be helpful in understanding a student’s ailment and building trust, as well as communicating with families.
It is helpful to be licensed through the DPI as a school nurse, but it is not a non-negotiable requirement. However, some schools may list it is a qualification in the hiring process. There are routes as an RN (head nurse) or LPN (more of an assistant position).
Reading/Literacy Specialist
Literacy is the basis of educational success, and this is even more important with English Learner and/or developing multilingual students. Specialists often work with smaller groups of students, in a support role to the main classroom teacher. If you’re someone more interested in the linguistics/science side of language, this could be a great path for you! A reading teacher supplemental license is available, however learn about when it is and is not required.
Library Media Specialist
As Mariana Castro said in her interview, one of the most important features of a well-functioning dual language program is the quality of their library. Having a multilingual Library Media Specialist can be crucial for DLI programs, but is important too for students in “regular” programs, whether they are multilinguals/English Learners or not. Bilingual books are great ways for students of different language backgrounds to enjoy reading together!
Adult Education
Multilingual individuals are especially in need for adult education positions, as many adults in these programs are English language learners or are not native English speakers. Adults may be pursuing a GED (high school equivalent), participating in an intensive English program, or are participating in other skill/certification programs to allow them to move into more desirable careers. Many of these positions offer volunteer opportunities, such as the Literacy Network, but you certainly can make a career out of this type of work!
K-12 World Language
This is one of the most well-known ways to use language skills in education, and can take many different forms (for this purpose, we will leave out DLI and heritage, as they have their own dedicated section). At the elementary level, it is more common to have FLES, a structure where a teacher may visit classrooms twice a week, half an hour each time, providing an introduction to world language. In middle school and high school, your most common structure is going to be teaching students grouped by level a period each day (or every other day if a block schedule). Teachers must score at least intermediate-high on the ACTFL scale of language proficiency. These positions typically are licensed EC-A, meaning you are certified birth-21.
English Second Language (ESL)
Becoming an ESL teacher is one of the most direct and readily available opportunities in education to apply your language skills. While speaking more than one language is not necessarily a requirement, it is helpful, as is simply going through the experience of trying to learn a language, even if you didn’t walk away fluent. With a growing population of English Language Learners, this position is in high demand. Many colleges offer ESL concentrations or minors within their education programs.
Bilingual Resource Specialist
MMSD describes them as “non-certified staff who are multilingual and provide students with native language and cultural support. BRS support English Language Learners in general education classrooms and also have a unique role within each building to aid cultural understanding, communication, and provide interpretation and translation services.” Community/Family Liaisons are also multilingual individuals that do not require a license, but can aid in translation services for students and families.
Out of School Time (OST) Program Leader
As the name implies, these individuals work with recreational/extracurricular programs outside of typical school hours. With your multilingual skills, you could lead programs like Escalera (learn more from Marco Espinosa’s interview, among others), ethnic/cultural affinity groups like ones Mayder Lor leads, or even groups without a language focus, but that have non-English-speaking students. These positions often do not require a higher education degree, but still allow you to interact with children and schools.
Learn more about MSCR, a Madison group that offers OST programming.
Substitutes
Multilingual substitutes are hard to come by. Often, language education teachers will prepare English-only materials for sub days because it is so hard to find someone who speaks the target language to fill in . This is a great way to try out teaching before committing (or while participating in) a licensure program, and/or a way to make some extra money on the side. Individuals do not necessarily need to have completed an education licensure program.
Administration
This is an umbrella category of positions that often are not available to individuals straight out of school, but are a down-the-road target for many and are always looking to welcome in multilingual individuals (see interview with Jorge Ávalos for more on that!). This can include principals, district-wide supervisors, content-area specialists and program heads, and more. At the college position, this can include roles like the ones Enoch Melgarejo and Kevin Foley mentioned where they are using their multilingual skills to support and advise multilingual students.
School Counselor/Social Worker
The needs these individuals are addressing for students tend to involve heightened levels of emotion, and being able to provide linguistic comfort for children can help put them at ease. These positions also often involve family interaction, so similarly being able to connect on a linguistic level can go a long way. These are two different positions with different licensing requirements that were only combined for the sake of organization.
School Counselor Preparation and Licensing
Wisconsin School Social Workers Association
Camp Counselor
Working as a camp counselor is a great way to test out being a teacher or supplement another job. There is not one statewide list of requirements, but it can be helpful to be pursuing or have completed a higher education degree. For high schoolers, there are often opportunities to be junior or assistant counselors — this is a great way to gain experience before entering a teacher preparation program! Some camps are specifically geared towards language immersion, while others just happen to have students who speak non-English languages and would benefit from your skillset. If you say in the hiring process that you are a native speaker, you probably won’t have to show proof of your language abilities. However, if you are not a native speaker, you may have to interview/have a conversation in this language or take a standardized test, such as an ACTFL proficiency exam.
Though not in Wisconsin, many Wisconsin language educators have worked at Concordia Language Villages, an immersion camp in Minnesota that currently offers programming in 14 languages.
Bilingual Aide/ Paraprofessional
These are great positions for multilingual individuals who have strong language skills, but not necessarily education degrees. These positions allow you to “work in classrooms directly with students either in the capacity of multilingual interpreters and translators for the purpose of fostering participation and meaningful access to grade-level core content, or to augment English language acquisition within the classroom.” The minimum qualifications are a GED/high school diploma, but most schools will be looking for candidates looking to pursue further education/degrees (often paid for at least in part by the schools).
Early Childhood Education
Working in early childhood education can be exhausting, but it is so rewarding! Whether you are working in a program built around language or informally are making language part of how you teach, in this period of life kids are so excited to try out different languages — you’ll hear many interviewees saying they soak it up like sponges! These positions often have a lower barrier to entry than K-12 education, high schoolers often able to work in assistant positions.
Entry Level Requirements for Early Childhood Teaching Positions
Administrative Assistant
Administrative assistants are often the first point of contact students and families have upon entering schools. Having a multilingual individual available is especially important for families, in both a practical sense as well as creating a welcoming, inclusive school environment. These individuals do not need an education degree, but by working in a school they still are able to interact with children.
Education Policy Maker/ Researcher
These positions often distance you from directly working with children, but they allow you to interact with policy decisions that will have very real impacts on a large group of students. Wisconsin is lucky enough to have WIDA, a policy and assessment consortium working specifically with multilingual learners, in the state, but there are many other avenues to working in education/language policy. Prior experience as a classroom teacher is often helpful, but not required for these roles. And, as Maryellen Merck made clear in her interview, we need more multilingual people doing research about multilingual students!
Online Language Educator
Though these positions existed before the pandemic, they are in especially high need now! They tend to have less job security, but are fairly flexible and can be a great form of supplemental/summer income. You can work “freelance,” meaning you advertise your services and control every part of the business, or you can work within a larger company that connects you with clients, but may not pay you as much as you would like. There are lots of opportunities to teach English online (TESOL-related certification often suggested/required), but so too exist platforms to teach non-English languages. There are lots of different avenues and companies you may consider working with, some of which specifically teach language, and some that are more general tutoring services, but any Google search related to language online teaching + specific keywords will pull up lots of ideas!
Professor
Individuals with a love of language who prefer interacting with adults will make great professors. While it is true that additional education is almost always a requisite, there are often positions available at community colleges or even entry-level opportunities at 4-year colleges that do not require PhDs. However, you are required to have a very high level of proficiency to work in language departments. For those in college currently, reach out to your own professors to learn more about their paths to working in their current positions (and check out any of the many interviews I conducted with professors to learn about their own paths!).
Interpreter
Interpreters often work alongside one or a few students to typically provide ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation. This is another area of very high need, and there are colleges in Wisconsin that provide ASL/interpretation degrees (see the college page!).