What does TEFL/TESOL stand for?
Posted by Jennifer Mackenzie - 17:18 on 31 August 2009
What on Earth do these acronyms mean?
EFL, ESL, TEFL, TESL, TESOL, ELT to name but a few. Generally, they all refer to the same thing, teaching English to people who aren't native speakers. You will also often find that different countries have a penchant for different acronyms. TEFL is more often used in the UK, TESOL in the states, along with TESL and Australia favours TESOL.
The TEFL industry like any other, loves its jargon and tantalising acronyms, so here' a brief explanation.
CELTA - Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults
DELTA - Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults
EAL - English as an additional language
EAP - English for academic purposes
EFL - English as a foreign language: English for use in a non-English-speaking region, by someone whose first language is not English.
EIL - English as an international language
ELF - English as a lingua franca (Not those mythical beings with pointy ears then)
ELT - English language teaching
ESL - English as a second language
ESOL - English for speakers of other languages
ESP - English for special purposes, or English for specific purposes (e.g. technical English, scientific English, English for medical professionals, English for waiters).
IELTS - International English Language Testing System
TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language
TEAL stands for Teaching English as an Additional Language and involves teaching English to non-native speakers.
TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, or Teaching English as a second or other language
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication
UCLES - University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, an exam board
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