With the landscape changing for federal workers, many people are on the lookout for new career opportunities where they can apply their skills and expertise while continuing a path of service. The field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) offers a wide range of possibilities, from teaching in public schools, international schools, and specialized language schools to working in refugee resettlement, community outreach, and corporate training. And you don’t have to be a linguist to get started.
Even before recent reprioritizations by the current administration, those working across government agencies and in the military looked to TESOL for career changes. I reached out to current students and alumni of the TESOL program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where I am a professor and program director, to ask them to tell me about their journeys from the federal workforce to careers in TESOL.
When people hear about teaching English, they might think first and foremost about working in public schools. There is a national shortage of teachers in this field, with a 10.4% decrease in instructors for learners of English while the number of students who need English language support has increased by 2.6%.
A career as a public educator offers a salary with stable growth, benefits, and the chance to help students new to the US succeed academically. “I have always had an interest in languages and education,” says Ashleigh Waker, a former cryptologic linguist with the US Army who is currently pursuing the Master of Arts (MA) in TESOL with P–12 licensure at UMBC. “After working jobs that I wasn’t fully satisfied in after my military career, I finally took a risk by pursuing a career path that I knew would pique my interest: becoming an ESOL teacher.
The field of TESOL includes much more than public school teaching, though. There is also a global need for English for specific purposes (ESP), where former government workers can make a difference. Joseph, a former active-duty officer and later civilian general engineer for the US Air Force who completed the MA in TESOL at UMBC, explains: “Their professional experience through either their military service or federal service would be very valuable, especially if their government or military duties included overseas assignments.”
Those who have worked for government agencies or the uniformed services have gained specialized knowledge that can be combined with advanced teaching in medical English, aviation English, legal English, engineering English, and English for science and technology, among other professional or technical areas.
Learners of English, sometimes referred to as multilingual learners or emergent bilinguals, need support in many domains of life. A master’s degree or postbaccalaureate certificate in TESOL in conjunction with federal work experience can open doors to a career supporting newcomers through the many state, county, faith-based, and nonprofit agencies that offer refugee resettlement, workforce readiness, immigration advocacy, social services, adult education, and naturalization preparation programs.
As one current UMBC TESOL postbaccalaureate student and former intelligence specialist reflects, “With a TESOL certificate I become an asset to community programs. I look forward to making an impact within my local community and knowing I’m making things better for the people around me.”
Jafet Fortin, a former human resources specialist with the Army National Guard and current student in the UMBC MA in TESOL with a P–12 licensure concentration, agrees, noting that TESOL “plays an important role in empowering immigrants and preparing them for their future.”
With global demand for English skills increasing,2 there are also many opportunities abroad. “You only get one chance at this life thing, don’t waste it,” declares Timothy, a recent alumnus of the MA in TESOL with P–12 licensure at UMBC who previously worked as a management analyst at the Health Resources and Services Administration. “Meet cool people from all over the world while getting paid and feeling good about your work.” Universities, international schools, language academies, multinational corporations, institutes, and nongovernmental organizations throughout the world seek highly qualified English language teachers for all age ranges and proficiency levels.
Similarly, there are opportunities to work with students from other countries who come to the US and seek to improve their academic English at community colleges and universities. “It is my dream job,” asserts a current UMBC MA in TESOL student who works in intelligence for a federal agency, “working in a community college or in a charity teaching English. I want to give back to society after almost completing a government career.”
A similar refrain is offered by many current and former government workers who have chosen a career change to TESOL: a desire to continue a life of service and to make a difference. “Working in TESOL provides a service to students directly, while my previous job was an indirect service,” says Jafet. “I think it’s a great path to continue to serve,” states another current student and former language analyst for an intelligence agency who is completing the TESOL postbaccalaureate certificate.
TESOL is a profession through which federal workers and veterans can build on their years of experience, continue valuable service to society, and explore rewarding new career paths. “I highly recommend anyone who has worked in the information production part of the government, written products for policymakers, consider TESOL,” suggests a current MA in TESOL student and intelligence analyst, “since the overall intent is the same, to make meaning available to a specific audience.”
Likewise, Ashleigh advises, “if you have a curiosity and passion for language and education in general, consider this program. The program opens the door for a plethora of opportunities in a global world.”
Links
www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-english-learner-population-is-growing-is-teacher-training-keeping-pace/2023/02
www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/02/06/3022309/28124/en/English-Language-Learning-Market-Boom-Forecast-to-Exceed-Revenues-of-70-Billion-by-2030-with-Globalization-and-Increasing-Cross-border-Communication-Fueling-Demand.html
Francis M. Hult is professor and director of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC, https://tesol.umbc.edu). An English language educator and teacher trainer with over 20 years of experience in the field, he is known for his sociolinguistic and discourse analytic research on language policy, linguistic landscapes, and educational linguistics.
