Online Colleges for ESL

English as a Second Language Online Colleges

A degree enabling you to help students who primarily speak another language may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of ESL programs. You can find such degrees online but typically at the advanced level. Master's, Doctor's and PhD's in ESL are all potential pathways, as are closely related advanced degrees such as the the Master's degree for Teaching English Language Learners. When you are investigating an online program, be sure to understand the approach--for instance, will you be learning to teach English as a second language or English as a foreign language? You'll also want to understanding who your student population will be. While some literacy degrees are designed to help instructors teach K-12 students, others are more geared towards adult learners. The approaches can be quite different since young students are still learning about other subjects in school and need to be able to progress in these as well while adult learners are often simply interested in quickly improving and advancing their English comprehension and speaking skills. If you are interested in a shorter path to training and already have a bachelor's degree in teaching, you can look for online endorsements or certifications in ESL or literacy that can avail you to working with student groups.

Most ESL careers involve teaching, and as such, require a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and typically, state licensing. However, the classroom can also extend out of that day setting for young students into that night-time setting for adult learners, who could be highly-motivated and dedicated to their learning for any number of reasons. ESL teachers can also slip into other unique career opportunities such as teaching abroad or working part time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for teaching ESL are growing faster than average and predicted to increase 15 percent during the 2008-2018 decade. An ESL career can be rewarding in more ways than only helping students advance. Those working in ESL education earned mean annual wages of $51,080, according to 2010 BLS data, while those in the top 10 percent earned wages exceeding $80,000.

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