What is ESL • EFL • TESL • TEFL • TESOL • ESOL stand for???

Hi all,

could any one explain me, what r these shortcut stand for ??

• EFL
• TESL
• TEFL
• TESOL
• ESOL

Thanks

[RonBee]

ESL = English as a Second Language
EFL = English as a Foreign Language
TESL = Teacher of English as a Second Language
TEFL = Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
TESOL = Teacher of English as a Second or Other Language
ESOL = English as a Second or Other Language

8)

[shane]

Originally Posted by RonBee

ESL = English as a Second Language
EFL = English as a Foreign Language

8)

Forgive my ignorance here, but if English was your second language, wouldn't that make it a foreign language? Aren't the two titles above the same? </confused> :?

[RonBee]

You've got a good point. I think the distinction is that in some countries it (English) would not be considered a foreign language.

[RonBee]

P.S. Here is how Red recently answered the same question.

ESL = English as a Second Language
EFL = English as a Foreign Language
TESL = Teaching English as a Second Language
TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESOL = Teachers of (or Teaching) English to Speakers of Other Languages
ESOL = English for Speakers of Other Languages

I answered the question based on my memory, which obviously is not always perfect.

:wink:

[Lib]

Apart from what Ronbee said (that in some countries English is a foreign language and in others it's a second language), I think it might also have something to do with teaching methods.

[Tdol]

The basic distinction is that it is a foreign language for non-resident learners and a second language (or additional) for resident learners.

[SUDHKAMP]

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Hi all,

could any one explain me, what r these shortcut stand for ??

• EFL
• TESL
• TEFL
• TESOL
• ESOL

Thanks

Shortcuts may be termed abbreviations:-

EFL : English as foreign language.

TESL : Teachers of English to speakers of other language
or
Teaching English to speakers of other language

TEFL : Teachers of English as Foreign language
or
Teaching English as Foreign language.


TESOL is same as TESL

ESOL is same as ESL.

I am not a teacher of English. Just someone who loves the language.


_____________________

SUDHKAMP

[Raymott]

Sociolinguists must use the term differently from ESL teachers.
I think I made this point in the last thread - not sure.
To a linguist, a second language is a language that is widely spoken in the community, but not one's native language, such as a native Hindi speaker learning English in India, or a Hokkien speaker learning English in Singapore.
English is not "foreign" in these countries.
A foreign language to this same person would be something not spoken as a widely functional language in their country, such as Spanish or Irish.

In largely monolingual countries like Australia, almost everything except English is a foreign language.

[fargo2971]

Originally Posted by Raymott

Sociolinguists must use the term differently from ESL teachers.
I think I made this point in the last thread - not sure.
To a linguist, a second language is a language that is widely spoken in the community, but not one's native language, such as a native Hindi speaker learning English in India, or a Hokkien speaker learning English in Singapore.
English is not "foreign" in these countries.
A foreign language to this same person would be something not spoken as a widely functional language in their country, such as Spanish or Irish.

In largely monolingual countries like Australia, almost everything except English is a foreign language.

These makes it all clear to me now, thanks! I don´t remember the course director having discussed the difference between this two important words during out TEFL course.