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Whether you are a new teacher or an experienced teacher looking for new ideas we hope you will find something of interest and something you can use in your classes in this section.

Teaching English Language Terminology

ELT, ESL, TESL, EFL, TEFL, TESOL …
What do they all mean?

Any profession has its terminology and acronyms. The English language teaching industry has a large number of acronyms and abbreviations that are often confusing for people first entering the field.

One of the biggest causes of this confusion is the fact that the profession itself has a number of different names, which are often used interchangeably.

Here is an alphabetical list of the main acronyms for English language learning and teaching and their meaning and use:

EAP

English for Academic Purposes. This is the preparation for high/secondary school or particularly university studies. A more formal approach is taken in teaching EAP, with focus on reading, writing and presentations.

EFL

English as a Foreign Language. A person whose mother tongue is not English, learns English as a foreign language if they study the language in a non-English speaking country for example a Korean in Korea studies EFL.

ELT

English Language Teaching/Training. This is a broad term referring to English as a second or foreign language training and is widely used in the UK and recognised internationally.

ESL

English as a Second Language. Someone whose mother tongue is not English, learns English as a second language if they study English in an English speaking country for example a Korean in Europe learns ESL. (However it must be noted that for some people English is not necessarily a second language – it could be a third, fourth … language!)

ESP

English for Specific Purposes. The focus of ESP is on terminology used in specific fields such as law, medicine, technology, finance, etc. While knowledge of the subject and its terminology is important, it is important to remember that it is the usage of the English language in a specific context which is being learnt.

TEAL:

Teaching English as an Additional Language (not as common as TEFL, TESL, or TESOL).

TEFL and TESL

Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Teaching English as a Second Language. TESL is more commonly used in America and Canada (where English is the first language of those countries and is being taught to immigrants). In Europe, the term TEFL is more frequently used, perhaps because there is more movement of teachers throughout non-English speaking countries in Europe (and English may not be the second language being learnt as learners may have two or more other languages as well).

TESOL

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. More or less the same as TEFL, but can include TESL as well. TESOL is an acronym of a professional association in the USA and is also used to refer to the field itself. This term is more commonly used in the US while in Canada the acronym TESL is used more. In essence, the terms are used interchangeably.

TESP

Teaching English for Specific Purposes. The focus of ESP is on terminology used in specific fields such as law, medicine, technology, finance, etc. While knowledge of the subject and its terminology is important, it is important to remember that it is the usage of the English language in a specific context which is being taught.

SUMMARY

For all intents and purposes the terms mean the same with TESOL being more common in America and with large state sector colleges in Britain, while TEFL is more common in U.K. There is a slight technical difference since TESOL refers to all learners whose first language is not English, including ethnic minorities living in English speaking countries whereas TEFL refers only to "foreign" students. Potentially, therefore, a TESOL course encompasses more than a more narrowly defined TEFL course.
The main difference between them is the country in which the teaching takes place.
TESOL and TEFL are synonymous terms that refer to English language instruction in non-English speaking countries. They can also be used to describe training programs and certification courses for would-be teachers. TESL and TEAL are interchangeable terms that normally refer to English teaching among immigrant and refugee communities in English-speaking countries. The terms TEFL and TESL are more common in Europe, whereas the terms TESOL and TEAL are more common in North America. EFL and ESL normally refer to English language programs in general – rather than just the teaching component of these programs. EFL is used in non-English speaking countries, whereas ESL is used in English-speaking countries where students are learning English as a second language.

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