Major to become a High School Spanish Teacher?

College Majors Foreign Language & Culture Majors
1

Hola a todos! Recently, I’ve fallen in love with Spanish, and with the inspiration of my current Spanish teacher (who is sooo fantastic), I’ve wanted to become a high school Spanish teacher! That being said, it it better to major in Spanish Language, or Spanish Education? If I ever want to get other types of Spanish-speaking jobs, will a degree in Spanish education not look as good? Will I become less fluent if I major in Spanish Education? Should I consider double majoring in Spanish and Education? Ayudame, por favor! Y gracias!

2

I would do Spanish language with a minor in teaching(or the euivalent at your school)

3

Why would you become less fluent?

Major in Spanish and check out the teacher education department at your university.

4

It will depend on the school you attend. Some want you to have the straight subject major, others have you major in Secondary Spanish Education within the School of Education. Do your homework now and see how they phrase it.

What you want to do is graduate in four years with state certification. (And note that the certification you receive will be of the state in which you attend school. If you want to teach in your home state, you’ll have to get certified there as well. Take a look at the “Teacher certification” tab in the State Board of Education websites.)

What you absolutely want to look for is:

  • Early and substantial field experience. You want a school that has you doing observations ASAP, not waiting until you’re almost ready to graduate.
  • A good Career Placement office. Right now there are thousands and thousands of teachers unemployed. You'll want a school that will not only prepare you to teach, but also help you find a job.
  • My personal advice is to avoid the 5 year Master's Programs. The ONE Thing that a brand new teacher brings to the job market is a low price tag. In rough economic times, that's something that some districts are willing to gamble on. Starting as a new teacher with a Master's means you're a more expensive gamble than another new teacher, since there's no way to tell which of you will find success in the classroom. Yep, you may very well need a Master's, eventually. (Some states will require that you eventually get one. NY is one such state; I'm sure there are others.) But get it AFTER you find a job.