| If you are thinking of becoming an English language | | | | Students from an EFL background will generally have |
| teacher (ELT) to foreign students then you may be | | | | a limited communicative competence and smaller |
| confused with the many acronyms of the profession. If | | | | vocabulary range due to their lack of exposure to |
| you decide to take an English teaching qualification, a | | | | English outside of the classroom. After the "English |
| quick look at the newspapers and internet will provide | | | | lesson" ends many do not continue to practice their |
| you with a huge choice of courses but what is the | | | | English and it is viewed as just another lesson like |
| difference between a TEFL and a TESL course, for | | | | Science or Math. |
| example? | | | | If you are a TEFL teacher then you are likely to teach |
| In truth, these days the distinction between the two is | | | | students who are not using it as part of their daily |
| becoming less important and there is a tendency for | | | | routine. Therefore teachers need to encourage |
| content to overlap. There are still some fundamental | | | | students to expose themselves to English as much as |
| differences, however. | | | | possible, e.g. read newspapers, magazines, use the |
| Teaching English as a Foreign Language | | | | Internet and watch TV and English speaking (or |
| TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language | | | | subtitled) movies. Songs are another great motivator, |
| usually represents the acronym on a teaching | | | | especially with teenagers. |
| certificate that means that you have qualified to teach | | | | The teacher is likely have more limited resources and |
| students whose first (or second) language is not | | | | access to authentic and ELT materials |
| English. e.g. Poland, Thailand, Turkey, China, Russia, | | | | English classes may be geared more towards an |
| Brazil. In other words, English does not have a special | | | | academic goal, a globally recognized English certificate |
| status within that country. English is taught as a foreign | | | | such as IELTS or TOEFL. Content may also be wide |
| language and the aim of teaching is not for survival but | | | | ranging including exposure to literature and more |
| is usually academically based, using the whole range of | | | | emphasis on grammar than everyday functional |
| skills e.g. reading, writing, listening and speaking. | | | | situations. |
| This means that once a student leaves the classroom | | | | Commercial text book content usually focuses on |
| they are not usually immersed in English and therefore | | | | developing the four skills, reading, writing, listening and |
| are not using it in much of their daily life. | | | | speaking. |
| Teaching English as a Second Language TESL - | | | | ESL students Students from an ESL background will |
| Teaching English as a Second Language has two | | | | generally have a larger vocabulary and higher level of |
| possible scenarios here: | | | | English communicative competence, due to their |
| English is used as a second language whereby natives | | | | exposure to English outside of the classroom. |
| of a particular country and are likely to use it daily. e.g. | | | | The teacher has a greater choice of materials etc and |
| English is a common language to communicate and | | | | English support outside of the school. |
| holds a special status as a medium of communication | | | | Materials will place a greater importance on themes |
| in government and education. It will have a common | | | | based on culture and social practices. There will usually |
| role in a multilingual setting like Singapore and India, for | | | | be more emphasis on speaking and listening. |
| example. Within these countries English may be given | | | | Learner motivation is likely to be higher as English is of |
| the status of an "official" language. e.g. In Dubai where | | | | practical use. |
| all government forms and utility bills are printed both in | | | | If you are teaching immigrants and refugees in their |
| English and in Arabic, and English is widely used as the | | | | adopted native English speaking land then you will be |
| medium for education. | | | | concentrating mainly on functions and situations - |
| The term ESL is also commonly applied to immigrants, | | | | providing language, vocabulary and structures which |
| students and refugees who live within a country | | | | are necessary to survive. e.g. at the doctors, at the |
| where English is the first language (such as the U.S., | | | | airport, shopping, social communication and applying for |
| the U.K. or Australia) and who need to learn to function | | | | a job. |
| in their host community as quickly as possible, in order | | | | ELT course books |
| to integrate effectively. They will need English for work | | | | ELT course books may not make such direct |
| and education, and everyday activities such as | | | | distinctions and therefore a course book should be |
| shopping and travelling i.e. any English which will enable | | | | chosen carefully to match the needs of each individual |
| them to survive. e.g. a Chinese family who have | | | | group of learners. However, it is true to say that the |
| emigrated to the United Kingdom. | | | | cultural components of most commercially produced |
| TESL usually ignores literature and more academic | | | | course books, and the linguistic varieties taught, are still |
| concepts that are not considered necessary for | | | | based mainly on English speaking environments (the |
| survival at a functional level. | | | | UK and North America) - although recently publishers |
| Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages | | | | are seeking to move away from this and provide a |
| TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other | | | | more global prospective. |
| Languages is now used in many countries and is a | | | | These days vary rarely does a school director make |
| common term developed in the USA. TESOL makes | | | | any distinction between TEFL and TESL when |
| no distinction between foreign and second language | | | | employing language teachers and the terms foreign |
| learners and is therefore a general term for teaching | | | | and second language are becoming less important. |
| those whose mother tongue is not English. | | | | With English now having the status of a global |
| What is the difference for an English Teacher? | | | | language and with the increasing in Internet use, today's |
| Some needs of an ESL student are different to that | | | | younger generations are becoming more and more |
| of an EFL learner: | | | | exposed to English in their daily lives. |
| EFL students | | | | |