When English is your first language, you might think that there are no career avenues you can take besides the ones in your own country. That is simply not true. In fact, lots of foreign countries are looking for people who speak English. There are also ways in which you can learn their language and become an interpreter or translator, or a teacher of English to non-native English students. Here is how to get on this career path while you are still in high school.
Become a Foreign Exchange Student
The first step is to pick any foreign language offered by your high school. After you have studied that language for at least one semester, you can register and enroll in a foreign exchange student program. You will have to raise the funds to go to another country. You will remain there for one year, studying abroad before you return home. As you immerse yourself in another country's language and culture, you will be able to share the English language with your host family.
Study Abroad in College
Spend another year in college studying abroad, preferably in the same language that you studied in high school. This will advance your foreign language skills to the point that you will be able to apply for English teaching programs. The English teaching programs have to be applied to just as you would for any other program.
Apply to an English Teaching Abroad Program
These programs are actually employment programs. If you apply and pass the interview phase, then you can request to teach English in countries where you are reasonably proficient in the native language. For example, if you can confidently carry on a conversation in French, you may apply to teach English in parts of Africa, Canada, all of France, and French colonies or territories. This employment lasts between one and three years, based on the needs of the position.
When You Finally Know Enough of One Language from Teaching English in Other Countries
When you have learned enough of another language by spending time in other countries teaching English, you can apply to a program training interpreters and translators. These programs will advance your career by teaching you more of the language you already know, while giving you the opportunity to work for the government or foreign diplomats when they visit the United States. You must ace these programs to pass.