World Language Education
If you enjoy working with youth and making a meaningful impact on their lives, consider PK-12 language teaching. Language educators teach not only a language, but also cultures related to that language. At UW-Madison, certification to become a PK-12 language educator is available as a master’s degree program through the School of Education’s World Language Education Program. Learn how you can earn your master’s degree for free through the Teacher Pledge Program!
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Explore & Prepare
- World Language Education master’s degree program at UW-Madison
- Students applying to this program must demonstrate proficiency in the language they will be certified to teach; see program prerequisites for more information.
- SuccessWorks Resources on Careers in Education
- Teacher.org: A website with resources on how to become a teacher and careers in education
- Become a substitute teacher to determine whether this career is the right fit for you!
Professional Organizations
Professional organization websites often contain job boards and useful resources about the professions they represent. Consider joining a professional organization as a student to take advantage of the full range of resources and conferences they offer – memberships are usually discounted for students!
Alumni Voices
Explore the profile below to learn from an alum working in this field!
Teaching English Abroad
Teaching English abroad is a popular option for many recent graduates. While these positions require primarily using English in your work environment, you will have the opportunity to use and improve your language skills in your daily life outside of work. Teaching English abroad is a common way for U.S. citizens to secure work authorization abroad, since it can be more difficult to obtain in other fields.
Many established programs recruit recent graduates from the U.S. to teach English for year-long periods (for some examples, see the programs listed on this page). Other applicants find opportunities to teach English abroad through job boards. While some opportunities provide training prior to placement in a school, others require applicants to have a TEFL certification prior to placement. As a student, consider declaring a TESOL certificate, which is another recognized credential that many teaching English abroad positions accept.
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Explore
Professional Organizations
Professional organization websites often contain job boards and useful resources about the professions they represent. Consider joining a professional organization as a student to take advantage of the full range of resources and conferences they offer – memberships are usually discounted for students!
Prepare
- UW-Madison Certificates
- TEFL certification
- Volunteer at the Literacy Network
- Intern Abroad: many international internships available just for Badgers involve teaching English abroad
- WESLI (Wisconsin ESL Institute): Volunteer as a conversation partner
Alumni Voices
Explore the profiles below to learn from alumni working in this field!
English as a Second Language Instruction
English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors work with English learners in the U.S. in K-12 schools, higher education, and adult education settings to help them acquire proficiency in English. They also act as a cultural bridge for students, empathizing with students’ native cultures and their new cultural experiences. ESL instructors in K-12 settings must have the proper certification to teach as required by state guidelines. Instructors in higher education, private, and non-profit sectors may need a different certification depending on the organization.
Although ESL instructors work with students using primarily English, the linguistic and cultural advantages that come with knowing other languages are immensely valuable in supporting students from different cultural and language backgrounds.
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Explore
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Adult Basic and Secondary Education and ESL Teachers
- Vault career guide: ESL Teachers
- Vault career guide: Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Teacher.org: A website with resources on how to become a teacher and careers in education
- UW-Madison School of Education programs with ESL certification (for K-12 certification)
Professional Organizations
Professional organization websites often contain job boards and useful resources about the professions they represent. Consider joining a professional organization as a student to take advantage of the full range of resources and conferences they offer – memberships are usually discounted for students!
Prepare
- TESOL certificate (for certification in settings other than U.S. K-12)
- Volunteer at the Literacy Network
- Intern Abroad: many international internships available just for Badgers involve teaching English abroad
- WESLI (Wisconsin ESL Institute): Volunteer as a conversation partner
Alumni Voices
Explore the profile below to learn from an alum working in this field!
International Higher Education
International higher education is a diverse field that includes work supporting global engagement in post-secondary (college and university) settings. Individuals in these fields often work to support outbound students (i.e., study abroad) or inbound students (i.e., international students) in colleges and universities. Subsets of international education include study abroad, international student and faculty services, and international admissions and recruitment.
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Professional Organizations
Professional organization websites often contain job boards and useful resources about the professions they represent. Consider joining a professional organization as a student to take advantage of the full range of resources and conferences they offer – memberships are usually discounted for students!
- NAFSA (Association for International Educators)
- NAFSA Region V (Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin)
- WAIE (Wisconsin Association for International Educators)
Prepare
- UW-Madison Student Jobs Board: Look for student jobs in campus units that have an international/global focus, i.e. International Academic Programs, International Student Services, International Division, Language Program Office.
- UW-Madison International Development and Education certificate
Alumni Voices
Academia and Research
If you are interested in research and teaching language, literature, area studies, and/or culture in a higher education setting, consider academia. Professors and lecturers in higher education institutions often split their time between teaching and research. At some institutions, responsibilities are more teaching-focused, while at others, professors engage in both teaching and research.
Most professors and lecturers at colleges and universities have a PhD in the field they study/teach. As an undergraduate student, you can take steps to make yourself a competitive applicant for PhD programs.
There are other ways to have a career in research without being a professor or lecturer. For example, think tanks, or policy institutes, are organizations that produce research and engage in policy advocacy around many different topics. There are many think tanks that focus on international affairs and seek to hire individuals with language skills and area studies backgrounds.
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Academia
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Postsecondary Teachers
- Vault career guide: College Professors
- Teacher.org resources on how to become a professor
- Peterson’s Grad School Search Tool
Think Tanks
- Think Tank Search (Harvard Kennedy School of Government)
- Public Policy Research Think Tanks (University of Pennsylvania)
Professional Organizations
Professional organization websites often contain job boards and useful resources about the professions they represent. Consider joining a professional organization as a student to take advantage of resources and conferences they offer – memberships are usually discounted for students!
- ACTFL (for language educators)
- American Association of University Professors
- Many academic disciplines have their own professional associations; i.e. Association for Asian Studies, American Association for Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese, Middle East Studies Association, etc.
Prepare
- Get involved in research as an undergraduate student. Use the Research at UW-Madison database to find faculty doing research in subject areas that interest you, or connect with your own professors. Reach out to find out whether they are open to taking on an undergraduate research assistant! The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program in the College of Letters & Science is open to first- and second- year students, as well as transfer students. There are also a number of research fellowships for undergraduate students at UW-Madison.
- Establish and maintain relationships with your professors. They can serve as mentors to you as you explore graduate study, and you will need letters of recommendation from professors when you apply.
- UW-Madison Graduate School: Preparing for Graduate Study
- SuccessWorks Graduate School Guide
- The Writing Center: Writing Personal Statements for PhD Programs
- You may need to take the GRE depending on which programs you apply to.
Alumni Voices
Explore the profiles below to learn from alumni working in this field!