Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages

A Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) designs and delivers English language instruction to migrants, international students, and other non-native speakers in Australian educational and community settings. They assess learner proficiency using frameworks such as the Australian Core Skills Framework, adapt curriculum to mixed-ability cohorts, and employ evidence-based pedagogies specific to second language acquisition. The role encompasses classroom teaching, materials development, progress monitoring, and liaison with settlement services, employers, or education pathways.

Assess learner English proficiency using diagnostic tools aligned to CEFR levels and the Australian Core Skills Framework. Design progressive lesson sequences targeting specific language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) with scaffolding for mixed-ability groups. Teach English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse patterns using communicative and task-based methodologies. Develop contextualised teaching materials addressing workplace, settlement, academic, or social communication scenarios. Administer and analyse language proficiency tests to track learner progress and inform instructional adjustments. Differentiate instruction for learners with varying prior education, literacy levels, and learning needs. Provide targeted feedback on spoken and written English, including error correction and metalinguistic explanation. Integrate Australian cultural content, civic knowledge, and workplace communication norms into lessons.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is emotionally demanding: you're often supporting traumatised refugees or people under visa pressure, which means high burnout risk. A bachelor degree is usually just the entry point; ongoing professional development in linguistics and pedagogy is expected but rarely funded by employers.

Most positions are in government vocational colleges, private language schools, and settlement services. Remote teaching exists but is less common than classroom roles. Migration patterns drive demand heavily toward capital cities.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2493, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adapt teaching to student's capabilitiescore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Feedback Collection and Actioningcore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Group Facilitationcore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• Interpreter and Accessibility Coordinationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Digital Literacy
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Problem Solving
• Record Management
• Report Writing
• Research and Analysis
• Team Collaboration
• Trauma-Informed Communication
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026