Will learning Spanish Help Your Career? If You are a Teacher, the Answer is “Yes!”
In competitive jobs markets like the ones teachers have to thrive in, it has become increasingly important to go equipped with an arsenal of truly sought after talents.
It is always recommended that when you start hunting for teaching jobs or other career opportunities you should aim to cover the list of requirements the vacancy mentions and never forget to offer a little more.
Focusing on delivering language skills that are most in-demand is a good place to start to give that extra mile!
For tutors, lecturers, and every staff that work in the Education sector, a common strategy to help improve career development is to specialize, to focus down on a very specific subject with the objective of becoming an “expert” in that area.
As valuable as that topic may be, the vacancies that actively seek that expertise may be minute.
Therefore, by opting for abilities that have a wider demand such as language skills you are making your net a much larger one, and larger nets mean more and bigger fish, plus a more varied career menu from which to dine from.
Spanish is the “Catch of the Day”! As a teacher, having any second language on your resume is going to be advantageous. But, with emerging foreign markets and a dynamic global economy, the demand for Spanish language skills has skyrocketed over the past decade.
Why Spanish?
A staggering 85% of U.S. Employers listed Spanish as the “most in-demand foreign language” in a survey for The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) titled ‘Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers’.
For American teachers, however, the motivations for learning Spanish may not hinge so heavily on global economic trends but are perhaps more related to what’s happening on home soil.
Let’s consider that in 2018 Hispanics made up 18% of the entire U.S. population, that’s 60 million people! And that number is set to rise to 30% by the year 2060 according to the Cervantes Institute in Spain.
Serving a Diversifying Population
Considering the above-mentioned stats, currently on average 1 in 5 students across the U.S. are Hispanic. Of course, some states have a higher percentage of Hispanics than others.
The 10 states in America with the highest percentages are below:
- New Mexico 48.5%
- Texas 39.1%
- California 38.9%
- Arizona 30.5%
- Nevada 28.5%
- Florida 24.9%
- Colorado 21.3%
- New Jersey 20%
- New York 19%
- Illinois 17%
There are reasons to think that the Spanish language is here to stay and is set to become increasingly in demand as the U.S. population landscape diversifies.
If you live or work in Education within the U.S. it is advisable to get on board now!
You will benefit from being able to establish relationships via a more effective communication channel with Hispanic students, the students’ parents, the wider Hispanic communities in your area, and fellow staff members.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela
Promotion Potential
Say ‘¡Hola!’ to being in demand and being able to opt for teaching positions that better suit you and fulfill your professional goals.
Language skills can also serve as a stepping stone to more prestigious positions within academic institutions such as roles like team leaders and heads of department, for example.
Language skills will provide evidence to any suitors that you are a forward thinker who embraces multiculturalism. Learning a foreign language requires a lot of patience, commitment, and dedication, qualities that will also show on your résumé.
Use your language skills to your maximum advantage by taking on out-of-school roles, perhaps as a volunteer, that help you connect your abilities with the communities that use the language.
You’ll gain perspective on the society in which your students live and, depending on the project or role, you will be able to assume responsibilities that can reinforce your proficiency in leadership, organization, and planning.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that in between now and 2024 there will be 1.9 million job openings for teachers of Preschool through to Postsecondary Schools.
With that amount of opportunity, it is increasingly important for teachers to focus on their goals and strive to attain the skills that will get them the job they desire. Spanish will help you stand out when promotion opportunities come up!
Job Opportunities at International Schools
If your ambitions reach a little further afield and working as a teacher overseas is on your professional bucket list then Spanish is a key that will open many doors.
Private schools in countries like Mexico, Spain, and Peru (where foreign teachers are harder to come by) actively seek Native English Speaking professors to help enhance and strengthen their bilingual status.
Taking a schooling position at an International Institution in another country will also grant you the opportunity to immerse yourself more fully into the culture of your host nation and gain a much more profound insight and understanding of the nuances of the Spanish language.
Get Experience Online
Widening your horizons may not necessarily mean packing-up and moving overseas. Online teaching platforms are becoming increasingly popular and can help pump up your résumé’s experience section and further show that you are embracing the challenges of working in the digital age.
Your potential student base online is huge, and by having Spanish as a second language you will be able to cater for the needs of a much wider public.
Online is now well established and according to Research and Markets, the ‘e-learning market’ broke through the $100 billion barrier back in 2015, and it’s projected market value is set to triple that by 2025.
So it could provide a sustainable revenue source and an opportunity for you to learn and enhance your teaching skills for a different student base.
Businesses are also climbing onboard the “e-learning train”, with a whopping 77% of U.S. corporations that used online learning resources during 2017. Online learning is not just the future, it’s already the now!