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Foreign Language Instructor

Foreign Language Instructors provide CIA officers with the foreign language skills and cross-cultural savviness needed to live and work abroad. They also conduct regular language proficiency testing.
  • Full time
  • Starting salary: $82,861 - $128,956
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Foreign language bonus eligible
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Agency-wide Requirements

All applicants must be:

  • U.S. citizens (dual U.S. citizens also eligible)
  • At least 18 years of age
  • Willing to move to the Washington, DC area
  • Able to complete security and medical evaluations
  • Registered for the Selective Service

About the Job

As a Foreign Language Instructor, you will deliver programs that provide intelligence professionals with the foreign language communications skills and cross-cultural awareness they need to live and work abroad effectively or to perform other language-related duties. Foreign Language Instructors apply the latest instructional methodologies to meet highly customized student needs. You will also complete a language proficiency testing certification to conduct and rate language proficiency tests in three modalities: reading, speaking, and listening. In addition, you may be asked to provide a variety of language support services worldwide.

Foreign Language Instructors have advanced proficiency in at least one of the following languages:

  • Arabic
  • Chinese-Mandarin
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Persian (Farsi)
  • Russian
  • Turkish

In addition to base salary, you can earn annual incentive pay based on the language and your language proficiency. Foreign Language Instructors who speak multiple languages may also qualify for additional incentive pay in varying amounts. Furthermore, new employees may qualify for a lump-sum hiring bonus.

Who You’ll Work With

At the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), we recognize our Nation’s strength comes from the diversity of its people. People from a broad range of backgrounds and viewpoints work at CIA, and our diverse teams are the reason we can keep our country safe.

Read more about diversity and inclusion

What You’ll Get

Our benefits support every aspect of a working professional’s life, including health and wellness, time off, family, finances, and continuing education. Our programs include highly sought-after government health benefits, flexible schedules, sick leave, and childcare. In some cases, we also offer sign-on incentives and cover moving expenses if you relocate.

As a CIA employee, you’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing your work is part of something bigger than yourself. Our work is driven by one mission: to keep our Nation safe. Every day is an opportunity to enhance U.S. national security.

Learn more about working at CIA

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields or related studies:
    • Education
    • Foreign Languages
    • Linguistics
  • At least a 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale
  • Native-like proficiency in one or more of the languages listed above, as well as professional level ability in English. Candidates will be required to take proficiency tests in their claimed language/languages in reading, speaking and listening
  • Demonstrated ability to teach the language in the context of the culture of the region
  • Ability to use the latest technology and teaching methods
  • Ability to work well and collaborate within a team-teaching environment
  • Experience teaching language skills to adult learners, taking them from beginner to the general professional proficiency level in an intensive setting
  • Ability to meet the minimum requirements for joining CIA, including U.S. citizenship and a background investigation

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience living, working, and/or studying abroad