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

Overview

German is the third most popular language taught in American schools. However, the instruction of German is decreasing due to the demand for other languages, like Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. The duties of a German teacher include creating lesson plans, planning activities, creating and grading tests or assignments, and engaging students. German teachers must immerse students in the language by constantly speaking, writing, and reading German, and encouraging the students to do the same. Most importantly, however, a German teacher must be fluent at German and English. A German 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 teaching of German at elementary schools with language programs has decreased from 5% to 2% in the last decade. 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, emphasizing listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture. The remainder of elementary school programs usually 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. The middle school classes often build on the programs in elementary school and offer an introduction to German that will be built upon in high school.

High School

The survey also found that German courses at the secondary level have decreased from 24% to 14%. However, there are still a good number of schools offering German, considering that 95% of High schools offer language programs. These programs typically instruct reading, writing, listening, speaking, and culture. A German teacher can teach anywhere from level one to five, or even an Advanced Placement (AP) course. High school foreign language classes move away from the simple translation of middle school and begin to instruct students on writing, reading, listening, and comprehending. At each level of German, students will be more immersed in the language and are expected to retain each of the levels before.

German teachers must earn a bachelor’s degree in German and must be fluent in both German and English. They must also obtain a teaching certificate in the state they wish to teach in. It is also highly recommended to obtain a 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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