Education · SOC 25-1124
AI translation squeezes basic language instruction, but cultural immersion, oral coaching, and linguistic research endure.
Parts of the job are exposed, but judgment and context still matter.
Timeline: AI translation and language apps are already commoditizing basic language instruction; faculty value will increasingly hinge on cultural expertise and advanced proficiency by 2028.
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$86,350 median pay
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$72,090 median pay
Industry pages show which sectors this occupation feeds and the AI companies driving the shift.
AI job-risk card
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is watch on AIFear. Parts of the job are exposed, but judgment and context still matter.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is 38/100 (Watch). Parts of the job are exposed, but judgment and context still matter.
38 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Drafting syllabi and grammar handouts, Grading translation and written exercises, Preparing reading lists and cultural materials, Basic vocabulary and grammar instruction. Harder to automate: Teaching cultural nuance and pragmatic competence, Oral conversation and pronunciation coaching, Advanced literary and linguistic scholarship, Department leadership and curriculum governance.
Lean into Intercultural communication, Language pedagogy in the AI era, Applied linguistics research, Heritage language instruction. Consider roles such as Language program director or Intercultural training specialist or Applied linguistics researcher.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.