Instructor of Languages (French, German and Italian)

Job Summary

In alignment with the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Mission, Vision, and Institutional Learning Goals, the Institute seeks part-time Guest Lecturers in Language to teach in-person introductory French, German, and Italian for Musicians courses on a rotating basis within the Department of General Studies beginning in Fall 2026.

These positions support CIM’s commitment to preparing students for meaningful and sustainable careers in music by helping musicians develop practical language skills that support artistic training, collaboration, and professional communication. Designed specifically for musicians, these three-credit, one-semester courses serve singers, instrumentalists, and conductors and are taught in rotation according to institutional needs, enrollment patterns, and coordination with the broader curriculum.

As a leading conservatory committed to preparing students for mid-21st-century careers in music, CIM emphasizes performance excellence alongside intellectual breadth, professional skills, and broad-based knowledge. Language faculty contribute directly to this mission by helping students develop the communication skills, cultural fluency, and disciplinary vocabulary necessary to engage confidently in multilingual musical environments.

While courses cover the foundational components of first-semester language study, including pronunciation, conversation, vocabulary, and grammar, instruction emphasizes musical and professional applications rather than general academic or travel contexts. Students encounter language through rehearsals, lessons, coachings, professional interactions, musical terminology, performance directions, written materials, and discipline-specific communication practices commonly encountered in conservatory training and professional musical life.

Instruction aligns with approaches commonly described as Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), emphasizing communication practices, vocabulary, and cultural contexts relevant to musicians. Faculty also introduce students to the cultural traditions, historical contexts, and artistic environments associated with French-, German-, and Italian-language repertoire, supporting deeper engagement with the musical traditions in which these languages function.

The overall emphasis is placed on spoken comprehension, practical communication, and functional literacy, enabling musicians to navigate multilingual artistic environments with confidence, independence, and professional fluency.

Language faculty are members of the Department of General Studies and participate in a collaborative institutional culture that connects classroom learning with conservatory training. Candidates need not be professional musicians themselves. Faculty are supported through partnerships with performance and academic colleagues and have access to curricular guidance, musical contexts, and institutional collaboration that support the integration of language learning with students’ artistic and professional development.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Language faculty at CIM are expected to:

• Design and teach 3-credit, 1-semester introductory courses in either French, German or Italian. 
• Hold regular office hours and provide frequent, structured feedback to students. 
• Work with the Head of General Studies and Office of Academic Affairs to ensure curricular alignment and compliance with institutional policies and guidelines.
• Coordinate closely with CIM faculty who teach the subsequent coursework in “Expression of French/German/Italian” which focuses on diction and idiomatic expression of language. 
• Mentor all students as they embark on varied career paths ranging from traditional performance, orchestral or teaching careers to multi-faceted portfolio careers informed by entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Education, Experience and Qualifications

Music language faculty at CIM are expected to hold an advanced degree in French, German, or Italian; an MA or PhD in the relevant language area is preferred. The Institute seeks candidates with demonstrated experience teaching at the university and/or conservatory level and the ability to effectively teach and advise a highly accomplished, international student body, many of whom speak English as a second language.

Given CIM’s focus on performance-based degrees, familiarity with classical music, musical culture, and conservatory training environments is strongly preferred. The ability to teach multiple language areas is not required, although candidates able to teach in more than one language area are preferred.

Additional preferred qualifications include ACTFL credentials, state licensure, and experience teaching within discipline-specific or professionally oriented language contexts.

Professional experience as a musician is not required. Language faculty are supported through collaboration with music and academic colleagues and through access to musical contexts, curricular guidance, and institutional resources that support the integration of language learning within conservatory training.

Personal Attributes

• Organized, reliable, and capable of managing responsibilities independently.
• Professional, responsive, and effective in communications with students, colleagues, and staff.
• Adaptable to the learning needs of a diverse student population, including a large international student body for whom English may be a second language.
• Collaborative mindset with openness to curricular partnerships and interdisciplinary opportunities across the Institute.

Appointment Type

Part-time Instructor Track – Bargaining Unit Position

Pay Rate: $1200, $1300 or $1400 per credit; based on instructor rank (Assistant, Associate or Instructor)