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Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in basic education, literacy, or English as a Second Language classes, or in classes for earning a high school equivalency credential.
Other titles employers use
Adult Basic Education Instructor (ABE Instructor) · Adult Basic Education Teacher (ABE Teacher) · Adult Education Instructor · Adult Education Teacher · ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor) · ESL Teacher (English as a Second Language Teacher) · ESOL Teacher (English for Speakers of Other Languages Teacher) · GED Instructor (General Educational Development Instructor)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
- Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, and interests.
- Prepares you for further education by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, creative and organizing work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Writing
Subjects to know
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.2 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.3 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.4 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.3 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 41%
- A master's degree 31%
- High school or less 12%
- A two-year degree 11%
- A certificate or some college 3%
- A doctorate or professional degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Office suite software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 4,220
- Job openings each year
- 40
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 10.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4,220 | 40 | 10.5% |
| North Carolina | 3,490 | 400 | −7.4% |
| Texas | 2,640 | 310 | −3.6% |
| Washington | 2,030 | 230 | −3.8% |
| California | 2,000 | 230 | −4.8% |
| Minnesota | 1,930 | 220 | −10.6% |
| Maryland | 1,530 | 180 | −6.1% |
| Illinois | 1,200 | 140 | −13.0% |
| Virginia | 1,110 | 130 | −12.6% |
| Ohio | 1,020 | 120 | −12.1% |
| Wisconsin | 850 | 100 | −10.5% |
| New Jersey | 740 | 90 | −9.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 700 | 80 | −11.4% |
| Missouri | 680 | 80 | −11.7% |
| Mississippi | 620 | 70 | −7.5% |
| South Carolina | 610 | 70 | −6.2% |
| Michigan | 600 | 70 | −13.0% |
| Indiana | 570 | 70 | −10.9% |
| Utah | 530 | 60 | 3.9% |
| Massachusetts | 510 | 60 | −5.6% |
| Arizona | 500 | 60 | −7.4% |
| Alabama | 440 | 50 | −6.4% |
| Idaho | 440 | 50 | −10.2% |
| Kentucky | 440 | 50 | −12.0% |
| Tennessee | 440 | 60 | 7.3% |
| Oregon | 430 | 50 | −6.5% |
| District of Columbia | 360 | 40 | 2.9% |
| Connecticut | 350 | 40 | −7.9% |
| Delaware | 310 | 40 | −3.1% |
| Iowa | 300 | 40 | −6.3% |
| Arkansas | 280 | 30 | −9.7% |
| Oklahoma | 260 | 30 | −7.1% |
| Montana | 160 | 20 | −5.9% |
| South Dakota | 150 | 20 | — |
| Maine | 140 | 20 | −12.5% |
| North Dakota | 130 | 20 | −7.1% |
| New Hampshire | 120 | 10 | — |
| Rhode Island | 120 | 10 | −7.7% |
| Kansas | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
| Nebraska | 100 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 90 | 10 | −10.0% |
| Alaska | 80 | 10 | — |
| Louisiana | 80 | 10 | −11.1% |
| New Mexico | 80 | 10 | −11.1% |
| Wyoming | 80 | 10 | −11.1% |
| West Virginia | 50 | 10 | −16.7% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 1,496
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 522
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 568
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Illinois State University
- Degrees each year
- 473
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
University of Northern Iowa
- Degrees each year
- 432
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
University of Central Florida
- Degrees each year
- 434
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 424
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 402
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
Compare every college offering bilingual, multilingual, and multicultural education