Teaching English or French

Types of Degrees Teaching English or French Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many teaching English or French graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,450
Graduate Certificate	1,255
Basic Certificate	587
Bachelor’s Degree	422
Doctor’s Degree	38
Undergraduate Certificate	33
Associate Degree	6

What Teaching English or French Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to English or French were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for English or French Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for English or French Majors

A major in English or French prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for English or French Majors

As a English or French major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Teaching English or French Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with English or French:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	7.4%	$58,230
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	8.0%	$55,470
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$58,600
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching English or French?

This is one of the most frequently chosen teaching majors. It is the 8th most popular in the country with 420 students graduating with a bachelor’s in English or French in 2021. The major attracts more women than men. About 83% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English or French majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	27
Black or African American	10
Hispanic or Latino	118
White	188
International Students	50
Other Races/Ethnicities	29

Geographic Diversity

English or French appeals to people across the globe. About 11.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Japan
• Taiwan

How Much Do Teaching English or French Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that teaching English or French students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $22,495 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $17,468 (25th percentile) and $35,795 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to English or French.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $58,370 to $62,200 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to English or French. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Teaching English or French

Some careers associated with English or French require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to English or French have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.3%
Some College Courses	0.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	64.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	12.3%
Master’s Degree	15.7%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.9%
Doctoral Degree	0.9%

Online Teaching English or French Programs

In 2020-2021, 446 schools offered a English or French program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	15	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	6	2
Bachelor’s Degree	201	50
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	248	43
Post-Master’s	61	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	10	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Teaching English or French Worth It?

The median salary for a English or French grad is $62,030 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 55% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $442,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Teaching English or French

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to English or French.

Major	Number of Grads
Teacher Education Grade Specific	110,226
Educational Administration	46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific	43,297
Special Education	36,792
General Education	29,810
Curriculum & Instruction	19,832
Student Counseling	13,858
Instructional Media Design	8,695
Other Education	4,858
Teaching Assistants	2,751
Educational Assessment	2,552
Multilingual Education	1,910
Education Philosophy	737
International Education	293

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By G0h4r under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.