A bilingual person, even a person who is not completely proficient in the other language, is more marketable to employers than a monolingual person in typical jobs in business, finance, industry, civil service, education, law, law enforcement, library science, media and journalism, medical and health services, science, social work, travel, and tourism. That’s why many students prefer to supplement their primary major with a secondary major or a minor in a second language. Interpreting and translating can provide a good income.
Many language students aim for a teaching career. There is a strong demand for language teachers in middle school and high school because of the foreign language admission requirements for entrance in the University of California and the CSU. For these students, we offer single subject preparation programs in French and Spanish.
Elementary schools with bilingual or cross-cultural programs in Spanish need teachers who are proficient in speaking, listening, reading and writing in Spanish. These students may combine language studies with their major in Liberal Studies.
Teaching language courses in a community college requires a Master’s Degree; we offer one in Spanish language and literature. Some students go on for a doctorate in their subject matter so that they can teach and do research as professors.