The eligibility to teach any language is the ability to read, write and speak that particular language flawlessly and proficiently. However, teaching language in schools and universities requires some basic formal qualification. A Bachelor’s degree in Spanish language is mandatory to work in educational institutions. You may also be required to take a teacher’s training course to establish your teaching skills. If you are interested, you may go for a master’s program and improve your chances. Further studies include M. Phil (Master of philosophy) in Spanish and Ph. D. With degrees like M. Phil or Ph. D, you do not require teacher’s training. Although, you may still have to appear for a test to obtain teaching license depending upon the rules of the country or state in which you are planning to teach.
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Good Communication skills (written and oral) – both in Spanish and the language of instruction which is generally English.
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Multi-linguist approach
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Good teaching talent
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Patience
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Compatibility
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Leadership qualities
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Motivational skills
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Self-confidence
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Self-motivation
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Translation skills
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Presentation skills
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Smartness and promptness
Roles And Responsibilities
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Obviously, a Spanish teacher should help the students to read, write and speak the language.
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Encouraging students to write composition and practice vocabularies
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Helping the students to pronounce correctly
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Training in a foreign language may require some techniques like role-playing, games, watching film and some other formal techniques for better understanding of the language and its usages and a teacher must be well-versed with using such tools.
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Implementing instructional activities to encourage students towards actively participate in learning activities
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Identifying and adopting the instructional techniques that suite all the students irrespective of their varying backgrounds
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Conducting periodical tests to assess the progress of students
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Maintaining track records to assess the performance of the students
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Ensuring effective communication with the students
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Motivating students to learn and perform better
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Meeting professional obligations and maintaining professional ethics at all times
Career Prospects
Spanish is a widely spoken language across the world. There are 21 countries, including USA, who have acknowledged Spanish as one of their official languages – knowing Spanish helps people a great deal in getting jobs in these countries. This increases the demand for Spanish teachers. The expected growth in employment of Spanish teachers is 12% from 2006-2016. The student community of the Spanish language is spread all over the world and so, the teachers are in great demand in almost all countries. Qualified teachers enjoy good and can work in schools, colleges or universities depending upon their qualifications. Some qualified teachers also turn towards entrepreneurship and open private institutes.
Hope this article helped you learn about the requirements to become a Spanish teacher and also the career prospects of this profession. Wish you all the best!
