EFL and ESL: two sides of the language teaching coin
The world of language teaching comprises plenty of abbreviations. You have probably faced many of them: ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), ELL (English-language learner), ESP (English for specific purposes), EIC (English for international communication) and others. The “celebrities” among them, ESL and EFL, stand for English as a second language and English as a foreign language respectively. Representing the borderline of acquisition techniques, teaching methods and needs of learners, they still remain confusing for some educators, especially those who feel curious about implementing techniques of ESL in their initially EFL classrooms. Do we really need to cross the methodological line in our belief that ESL is way more efficient? Or is it better to resist temptation? Let’s discover the issue that has gained more popularity than we’d expected before.
According to Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada, authors of the widely acclaimed book called “How languages are learned”, the differences in acquisitions have to be taken into account from very early childhood since such information influences our teaching practice significantly: “This background is important because both second language research and second language teaching have been influenced by changes in our understanding of how children acquire their first language. …one significant research finding concerns the similarities between the first and second language acquisition”. The latter point sounds attractive, though starting early childhood the innate learning language capacity does differ. The response to these differences lies in the very existence of EFL and ESL concepts.
ESL: turning “second” language into the first
ESL, or English as a Second language, is taught in countries where it is used as a primary communication tool and an official language. ESL programmes serve the specific need: they pay special attention to the practice that will be necessary for the further integration of a student into society. Regarding young learners and juniors, it means adjusting them to use English regularly in the classroom.
Teacher’s role
Learners’ survival skills are at stake here, and teachers should consider personalised or differentiated methods to apply in the classroom to achieve the best results. Another key feature of a teacher in an ESL classroom is in providing not only language but relevant cultural and historic insights.
How the language is taught
How to choose classroom activities
The content should be diversified: ideally, daily communication practice should be wisely mixed with socio-cultural aspects of living in a country. Think about the insightful video and audio materials that contain these aspects and transparently cover them. Presentations and subsequent Q&A sessions or lively discussions are of great help. Other activities may include problem-solving tasks as a milestone of real day-to-day communication.
EFL: teaching and learning language in a non-native environment
EFL abbreviation refers to the situation when the target language is taught outside of the English-speaking world as a part of a curriculum in schools, colleges or universities. Initially perceived as a foreign language, English in these classrooms doesn’t offer the same level of exposure.
Teacher’s role
A lower degree of daily language practice makes the comprehension speed of learners lower, and students may experience difficulties with developing crucial skills. First and foremost, educators need to understand how to deal with the issue of limited hours of guided practice.
One of the most obvious solutions is to offer your group or/and individual students higher intensity of classes to be held. At least 2 or 3 hours per week is a comfortable pace that provides much-needed efficiency and visible results. If you are not sure how to convince students to book more classes, check the recent research conducted in Skyeng.
How the language is taught
Classroom activities
Fluency over accuracy principle is of utmost importance here, and to maximize the first, teachers should be familiar with the communicative approach techniques. Interviews, role plays and scavenger hunts together with other relevant activities should be offered to students to ensure real and effective communication. Using authentic materials may inspire students to simulate all the aspects of target language use after analysing how natives act in different situations.
ESL, EFL and things they share
In terms of basic language content being taught, there are no differences between EFL and ESL, though such things as a course syllabus, the place of language input and output should be taken into account along with individual purposes. Nowadays we are all living in a world where it’s easy to switch between various language environments. What it means is that students’ roles are changing too: they may start with attending EFL classes and eventually end up being ESL students. Not only should we be ready to help learners to cross this acquisition gap smoothly but also examine the ways of maximizing certain types of ESL content in our EFL curriculum (aka “lack of real communication” curriculum sometimes).
The great news is that more and more learning materials are becoming EFL-student-friendly. For instance, the CLIL approach has become a real game-changer, thus giving EFL learners more chances to discover other subjects’ content solely in the target language, just like in English-speaking educational institutions. Another key factor is the expanding community of native and non-native English teachers who collaborate and exchange ideas on teaching, boosting professional skills and students’ engagement. This conceptual shift affects the very existence of the EFL and ESL borderline, which is becoming more obscure with the constantly elevating language competence of students we teach.
What are your thoughts about the further methodological existence of these concepts? Are they to stay or to go? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
Speaking activities are, obviously, essential for English language speaking classes. A lot of students join classes particularly to develop their communicative competence, become more fluent, versatile, adaptable, and confident communicators in English. However, designing speaking activities might be time-consuming and nerve-wracking for any teacher. We have prepared a memo with superb ready-made speaking tasks that will make your student talking.
Программа English as a second language (ESL): что это и зачем она нужна?
Большая часть программ обучения в частных школах-пансионах ведется на английском, поэтому от учеников требуется превосходное владение международным языком. На практике, учебные заведения нередко принимают детей с недостаточным уровнем, видя в них большой потенциал. Всех отстающих в языковом плане отправляют на курс English as a second language (ESL), который позволяет освоить английский, не отрываясь от прохождения школьной программы.
Что такое программа ESL?
ESL – это курс изучения английского, предназначенный для не носителей языка, которую также называют English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English as an additional language (EAL) или English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Предлагается частными школами-пансионами (Великобритании, США, Канады, Ирландии, Италии, Испании) иностранным ученикам для того, чтобы в кратчайшие сроки улучшить их знания английского, необходимого для эффективного освоения учебных дисциплин.
Особенности программы ESL
Курс ESL не входит в основную программу обучения школьников за границей, например, GCSE или A-Level, выступая дополнительной опцией. Предлагается только тем ученикам, у которых возникают сложности с английским языком, что затрудняет основной учебный процесс. Например, ребенок недопонимает преподавателя, не может свободно дискутировать во время уроков или правильно формулировать мысли, имеет проблемы с чтением и т.д.
Каждому студенту назначается персональный план обучения, который пересматривается на регулярной основе. Занятия ESL (ESOL, EAL или EFL) могут заменять уроки по каким-либо дисциплинам, например, которые ребенок не изучал в родной школе или которые не потребуются ему в будущем. Учителя ESL работают в тесном контакте с преподавателями-предметниками и репетиторами, чтобы убедиться, что ученик получает необходимую языковую поддержку.
Уроки проходят в небольших группах (2-5 человек) или индивидуально, что увеличивает эффективность курса. Дети работают над своими слабыми местами в языке, подтягивая разговорный и письменный английский, грамматику, чтение, аудирование и пополняя словарный запас.
Учебные центры ESL оборудованы рабочими станциями, видеоплеерами, специальным программным обеспечением, библиотекой. Детей призывают посещать кабинеты ESL в любое время, а не только в рамках занятий.
Плюсы ESL
Обучение английскому в школах-пансионах в рамках курса ESL помогает:
Квалификация преподавателей программы ESL
Требования к учителям программы ESL зависят от страны и школы. Как правило, учебные заведения отдают предпочтение профессионалам-носителям со степенью Бакалавра и квалификацией преподавателя ESL (например, с сертификатом TEFL «Преподавание английского языка как иностранного» или степенью Магистра TESOL «Преподавателя английского языка для говорящих на других языках).
Что означают аббревиатуры EFL, ESL и EIC
Сокращения EFL, ESL и EIC часто используются для обсуждении различных аспектов изучения и преподавания английского языка.
ESL — это English as a Second Language, английский как второй язык. То есть английский изучается в стране, где он является родным для большинства или части населения. Если русскоговорящий учащийся иммигрирует, например, в Австралию, то там он будет изучать английский именно как ESL, «второй» язык (даже если для него это уже третий или четвертый изучаемый язык).
Некоторое время назад стала широко применяться аббревиатура EIC, English for International Communication, английский для международного общения. В данном случае подразумевается общение с любым собеседником, владеющим английским языком, не важно, является он носителем или нет, независимо от того, в какой стране Вы находитесь.
В настоящее время количество неносителей языка, хорошо владеющих английским, в несколько раз превышает количество носителей. Соответственно, вероятность того, что Вы будете общаться не с носителями языка, довольно высока. Это учитывается при составлении многих современных УМК для взрослых учащихся (комплектов учебных материалов, куда входит книга для учащегося, книга для учителя, CD-диски, DVD с упражнениями, ксерокопируемые материалы, и так далее), которые во многом ориентированы на отработку языковых навыков с целью общения как с носителями, так и с неносителями языка. Именно поэтому Вы можете услышать индийский акцент в некоторых упражнениях на аудирование, или прочитать текст о праздновании китайского Нового года в модуле по теме «Праздники и торжественные даты» :).
ELT, EFL, ESL or ELF: TEFL Acronyms explained
As you enter the world of English Language Teaching, it’s impossible not to notice the swamp of acronyms. What’s the difference between ESL, ELF and EFL? Are acronyms simply there to bamboozle outsiders or are they useful shortcuts to important concepts?
While we let you decide that one for yourself, let’s wade in and explain some of these cheeky combinations. This blog will help you get to grips with the different types of teaching under the umbrella of English Language teaching, so we hope you’ve brought your waterproofs!
ELT – English Language Teaching
ELT for starters is a bit of catch-all term. It covers all the different types of English Language Teaching that exist in different contexts around the world. It is used a lot on Twitter, check out #eltchat – an opportunity to talk about all things ELT with other members of the ELT community. You can also ogle other people’s whiteboards on #eltwhiteboard and share your own too.
EFL – English as a Foreign Language
EFL is the variety that we at LoveTEFL specialise in – English as a Foreign Language. (And, as you may have guessed, TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.) This involves teaching English to students in non-English speaking countries, most commonly in the context of a language school or academy but also in primary or secondary schools. For example, if you move to Japan, you will be teaching English as a Foreign Language.
ESL – English as a Second Language / ESOL – English to Speakers of Other Languages
ESL and ESOL, on the other hand, refer to teaching or learning English in an English-speaking country – often in an adult education centre, language school or in a college. There is a lot of emphasis on functional language to help people get by in their new country. The term English as a Second Language (ESL) was thought to be too limiting as for some students, English might be the third or fourth language they’ve learnt – hence English to Speakers of Other Languages or ESOL.
EAL – English as an Additional Language
For children in primary or secondary school who live in an English-speaking country but originally come from abroad, we use the term EAL. English as an Additional Language supports students who are taking all their lessons in English. It might also be used to talk about English lessons in international schools. Teachers of EAL will have to collaborate with their colleagues to ensure that students have a decent grasp not only of General English but also the language they’ll need to cope with their other subjects across the school curriculum.
ESP – English for Specific Purposes.
Here, students are in a specific context such as their job. Popular types of ESP include medical English and legal English. Having said this, there are also English courses available for taxi drivers, builders and in hospitality, such as working in a restaurant or hotel.
BE – Business English and EAP – English for Academic Purposes
The two most common types of ESP are BE (Business English) and EAP (English for Academic Purposes). BE involves teaching specific vocabulary, grammar and functional language to be used in business and corporate settings around the world. This might include teaching language for negotiations or meetings as well as writing more formal emails. As a teacher, you’ll be going into businesses and teaching groups of students or providing one-to-one lessons. Secondly, EAP is taught to students. English for Academic Purposes helps prepare students for their university education on English-speaking courses. It covers things like writing academic essays and taking notes in a lecture. Pre-sessional courses take place during the summer in English-speaking countries, preparing students to start their degree in September. Some students might take a foundation year of EAP at their university before they start their degree.
ELF – English as a Lingua Franca
In EFL (English as a Foreign Language), students learn “correct” English – an English that meets ‘native-speaker norms’. When we think, however, that around the world there are over four times more people who’ve learnt English as an additional language than native speakers, it’s easy to question why this English must meet native-speaker norms. In many situations, it’s far more likely for conversations to take place between two non-native speakers than a native-speaker and a non-native speaker!
ELF (English as a Lingua Franca) tries to develop an English that is both easy to use and easy to comprehend between non-native speakers. Some of this concerns pronunciation – for example, how important is it that students can make a ‘th’ sound at the starts of words like three? It can still be easily understood by other non-native speakers (and native-speakers) if this sound is replaced with a ‘f’ or ‘d’ sound. Depending on the context in which you’re teaching, your learners might prefer to focus on ELF rather than EFL in the classroom.
Hopefully this guide to some of the acronyms in English Language Teaching will make things a little clearer for you as you explore the industry. Refer back to this guide if you get stuck or use it to start your own glossary of important terms. It might be the case that you only really come across one of these in your career but it’s worth bearing in mind that there’s plenty of variety across different countries and contexts.
In this next part of this series, we’ll be looking at the acronyms used in testing and assessment – so, watch this space!
Jenni Fogg
Jenni has taught in the UK and abroad. She has worked as a Director of Studies, course developer and online tutor. She finished her Delta and since then, her head has been filled with 100s of ELT-related questions. You can usually find her scouring the internet for answers. She likes cooking, dancing to Abba and listening to podcasts about true crime, mental health and TEFL.
ESL is English which is usually taught to students in an English speaking country. EFL is English which is taught to students in a foreign, non-English speaking country. As it is true of many European countries, where is common to learn to speak more than one foreign language. For these reasons ESL is typically the term used in the United States, an English-speaking nation, whereas EFL is more often the term of choice in countries where English is not the native language.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sumeyra Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
What’s ESL? What’s EFL?
In learning ESL, the learner is learning English within an English environment. In this case, English is spoken outside the classroom. The learner here learns English to understand and speak it outside the classroom. The situation is different in EFL learning, the learner learns English inside a classroom, but continues to speak her/his own language when leaving the classroom.
An example of an ESL situation is a Japanese boy who immigrates with his family to America; he speaks Japanese at home with his parents, but during the rest of the day and at school, he must speak English. He needs to learn enough English to be able to keep up with his schoolwork and communicate well with his schoolmates.
On the other hand, the Egyptian girl learning English in an Egyptian school learns English as a foreign language. She must understand and speak English only during her English lessons – perhaps 3 times a week. The rest of her day in school and at home, she will speak her own language. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t know much English or if she learns slowly; this will not affect her day-to-day life in and out of school as it would for the Japanese boy.
Teaching ESL versus teaching EFL
Teaching ESL is different from teaching EFL. This difference influences the content and methods used to teach the English language.
In many ESL classes* Students learn General English that helps them feel comfortable in school and communicate well with their new friends.* They are also taught the kind of English language and skills that will help them to be successful in their other classes, history, mathematics etc. which are all in English. This is typical of most programs in ESL situations.* Students have extensive daily exposure to English-speaking culture, although their understanding may be limited by their language skills.
In many EFL classes* English is often taught in a traditional way; i.e. based on step-by-step learning of a number of grammatical structures in a graded order of difficulty.* As the learner has to master the language in his class and has no chances to practice English outside his class, the methods and techniques chosen should allow him/her to use the language both fluently and accurately. These techniques should ensure maximum exposure to the language.* English is often taught in a traditional way; i.e. based on step-by-step learning of a number of grammatical structures in a graded order of difficulty.
ESL Students Need.
1. Hands-on English lessons suitable for their immediate needs.
If you’ve got a class full of recent immigrants struggling with how to fill out forms, teach them to fill out forms. If you’ve got a group of foreign doctoral students, teach them how to talk to their academic advisors. There may be a place for general grammar instruction, but not until more pressing needs are met.
2. Explicit cultural instruction.
These students come from many places, all very different from your classroom. Teach them about your cultural norms. Teach them how to get along in your society. Tell them how people from your culture see their culture. You might not think this is traditional English teaching, but it will generate fascinating discussion. Understanding culture is an invaluable step towards fluency.
3. Bridges towards integration.
As an ESL teacher, you may not consider yourself a guidance counselor, but be ready to suggest concrete ways for your students to address their daily problems in your local community. Whether that means referring them to an immigrant assistance association or helping them apply for a job online, you’re likely to be the first person they ask for help. Equip yourself with the knowledge you need, and be ready to do more research when asked.
EFL Students Need
1. Lots of practice using English, especially orally.
Get them speaking in the classroom, but also teach them where to find opportunities to practice speaking English outside of class, and reward them for doing so.
2. Exposure to living English.
Never lead your students to believe that English is a set of rules and words to memorize. It is the living, breathing creation of cultures and communities around the world. Do whatever you can to reveal this depth. Pen pals, non-traditional teaching materials, and field trips are great ways to make English come alive for your students.
3. Reasons to learn English, and motivation to stick with it.
English can be very theoretical when you’re growing up in a village in Belarus. Find out about each student’s other passions and tie English into them. There are so many English communities online and off that it’s possible to find a tie-in for almost any other area of interest. Social networks are powerful tools.
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