Glossary

The world of TEFL is a minefield of terms and acronyms.

Depending on where you learn and where you teach, the practice of teaching English as a foreign language can be referred to in many different ways (TEFL, TESOL, EFL, ESD, and sometimes even ELF!). One thing remains constant though; a good TEFL qualification will help you find a TESOL job and a good TESOL qualification will help you find a good TEFL job. In the end many of these terms mean exactly the same thing.

Key TEFL terms explained

ESL (English as a second language)
ESOL (English for speakers of other languages)
EFL (English as a foreign language)

All refer to the use or study of English by speakers of other languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is described below. These terms are most commonly used in relation to teaching and learning English, but they may also used in relation to demographic information.

ELT (English language teaching)

A widely-used teacher-centred term, as in the English language teaching divisions of large publishing houses, ELT training, etc.

The abbreviations TESL (teaching English as a second language), TESOL (teaching English for speakers of other languages) and TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) are all also used.

Other terms used in this field include EAL (English as an additional language), ESD (English as a second dialect), EIL (English as an international language), ELF (English as a lingua franca), ESP (English for special purposes, or English for specific purposes), EAP (English for academic purposes), and ELL (English language learner).

Terminology and types

All the acronyms can get in the way of understanding. English is a language with great reach and influence; it is taught all over the world under many different circumstances. In many English-speaking countries, teaching has evolved in two broad directions, essentially for people who intend to stay in the country and those who don't. These divisions have grown firmer with the instructors of these two "industries" using different terminology, forming separate professional associations, following distinct training qualifications, and so on. Crucially, these two arms have very different funding structures and to some extent this influences the way they teach. Matters are further complicated by the fact that the United States and Britain, both major engines of the language, describe these categories with different terms.

EFL indicates the use of English in a non-English-speaking region. Study can occur either in the student's home country, as part of the normal school curriculum or otherwise, or, for the more privileged minority, in an Anglophone country which they visit as a sort of educational tourist, e.g. after graduating from university. TEFL is the teaching of English as a foreign language; NB this teaching can occur in any country, English-speaking or not. Typically, EFL is learned either to pass exams as a necessary part of one's education, or for career progression while working for an organisation with an international focus, and TEFL presupposes literacy in the mother tongue. EFL may be part of the state school curriculum in countries where English has no special status (as is the case in most of the European Union); it may in addition be supplemented by privately paid for lessons, whether for school children or business people.

The other broad grouping is the use of English within an English-speaking region, generally by refugees, immigrants and their children. It includes the use of English in countries, often former British colonies, where English is a dominant language although it is not spoken as a mother tongue by the majority of the population. In the US, Canada and Australia, this use of English is called ESL (English as a second language). This term has been criticised on the grounds that many learners already speak more than one language. A counter-argument says that the word "a" in the phrase "a second language" means there is no presumption that English is the second acquired language. TESL is the teaching of English as a second language. In the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, the term ESL has been replaced by ESOL (English for speakers of other languages). In these countries TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) is sometimes used to refer to teaching English only to this group. In the UK, the term EAL (English as an additional language), rather than ESOL, is usually used when talking about the schools sector. In the United States, the term English language learner (ELL) is used by governments and the schools system. It differs from the other terms above because it refers to learners rather than the language.

Typically, ESL (ESOL in the countries listed above) is learned to function in the new host country, e.g. within the school system (if a child), to find and hold down a job (if an adult), to perform the necessities of daily life, and TESL does not presuppose literacy in the mother tongue. ESL is often paid for by the host government to help newcomers settle into their adopted country, sometimes as part of an explicit citizenship program.

Particularly in Canada and Australia, the term ESD (English as a second dialect) is used alongside ESL, usually in reference to programs for Canadian First Nations people or indigenous Australians. It refers to the use of standard English by speakers of a Creole or non-standard variety. It is often grouped with ESL as ESL/ESD. The term TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) is used in American English to include both TEFL and TESL. In British English the equivalent umbrella term is ELT (English language teaching), whereas TESOL has a different meaning, see above.

It is worth noting that ESL and EFL programs also differ in the variety of English which is taught; "English" is a term that can refer to various dialects, including British English, North American English, and others. Students studying EFL in Hong Kong, for example, are more likely to learn British English, whereas students in the Philippines are more likely to learn American English. For this reason, many teachers of EFL now emphasize teaching English as an international language (EIL), also known as English as a lingua franca (ELF).