A teacher who helps non-native speakers develop English language skills for school, work, and daily life.
What ESL teachers do
ESL teachers build students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in English. They scaffold instruction with visuals, model language structures, support vocabulary growth, and prepare students for academic content and proficiency tests.
Training path
Most US K-12 ESL teachers hold a bachelor’s degree and a state ESL endorsement; many also earn TESOL certification. Adult education and overseas roles often accept TEFL or CELTA certificates without state teaching licensure.
Settings
ESL teachers work in public K-12 schools, community colleges, adult education programs, refugee resettlement nonprofits, private language schools, corporate language training, and online tutoring platforms reaching learners worldwide.
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ESL Teacher starts with E and ends with R. Browse other professions along the same letter.
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