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Old 02-Aug-2003, 22:20
Anonymous
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Default 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
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Old 03-Aug-2003, 05:17
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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)
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Old 03-Aug-2003, 08:54
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Quote:
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> :?
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Old 03-Aug-2003, 13:12
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You've got a good point. I think the distinction is that in some countries it (English) would not be considered a foreign language.
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Old 03-Aug-2003, 14:51
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P.S. Here is how Red recently answered the same question.

Quote:
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:
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Old 03-Aug-2003, 20:00
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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.
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Old 07-Aug-2003, 17:49
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The basic distinction is that it is a foreign language for non-resident learners and a second language (or additional) for resident learners.
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Old 29-Oct-2008, 02:35
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Default Re: What is ESL • EFL • TESL • TEFL • TESOL • ESOL stand for???

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anonymous View Post
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
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Old 29-Oct-2008, 04:29
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Default Re: What is ESL • EFL • TESL • TEFL • TESOL • ESOL stand for???

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.
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Old 19-Jun-2009, 17:38
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Smile Re: What is ESL • EFL • TESL • TEFL • TESOL • ESOL stand for???

Quote:
Originally Posted by Raymott View Post
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.
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