A Day in the Life of a Arabic Language Teacher Back to Top

Overview

Arabic is the tenth most popular language taught in American schools. The federal government is increasing funding for foreign language education, especially those languages considered critical for national security. Due to this, Arabic is one of the fastest growing languages in schools today. The duties of an Arabic teacher include creating lesson plans, planning activities, creating and grading tests or assignments, and engaging students. Arabic teachers must immerse the students in the foreign language by constantly speaking, writing, and reading Arabic and encouraging the students to do the same. The initial difficulty Arabic teachers face is teaching students the Arabic alphabet. Importantly, an Arabic teacher must be fluent in Arabic and English. An Arabic teacher must often teach the history and culture of the language, so knowledge and interest of these topics is important as well.

Elementary and Middle School

In 2008, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) conducted a nationwide survey of elementary and secondary schools to collect data on foreign languages taught in the United States. According to the survey, the percentage of schools that taught Arabic in 2008 was only 1%. Among elementary and middle schools, the most common foreign language program is the exploratory model, which provides introductory exposure to the language. Language focus programs are the second most common program for elementary schools, with programs that emphasize listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture. The remainder of elementary school programs typically use the immersion model, which provides students with the opportunity to attain high levels of proficiency in the foreign language. When a student reaches middle school, he or she is usually given the chance to choose which language to study. Middle school classes offer an introduction to the Arabic language that will be built upon in high school.

High School

The survey also found that only 0.6% of high schools taught Arabic. However, this number is expected to grow. An Arabic teacher can teach anywhere from level one to level five. High school foreign language classes move away from the simple translation common in middle school and begin to instruct students on writing, reading, listening, and comprehending. At each level of Arabic, students will be more immersed in the language and are expected to retain information from previous levels.

Arabic teachers must earn a bachelor’s degree in Arabic, and must be fluent in both English and Arabic. They must also obtain a teaching certificate in the state they wish to teach in. It is also highly recommended to obtain a foreign language certificate. Currently, only 31% of elementary level foreign language teachers have this certificate, but having one will certainly put you above the competition. The majority of high school foreign language teachers are certified to teach a foreign language. One quarter of elementary schools and nearly one third of secondary schools offering languages reported being affected by a shortage of qualified language teachers. The most affected schools were elementary schools in rural areas and high schools with a large percentage of students from a low-socioeconomic background. The need for qualified foreign language teachers is growing, and the average salary for the secondary level is slightly higher than that of the average teacher, $56,000.

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