Teaching
esl and
efl can often be confusing for some.
esl stands for
english as a Second Language and
efl stands for
english as a Foreign Language. The main difference between the two is the status of
english in the classroom and the country. Even with this distinction, many might still be unsure if there really is a difference between teaching
esl or
efl. For anyone interested in a career in teaching
english to non-native
english speakers it will be important to cover the key dynamics of
efl and
esl.
Teaching (
esl)
english as a Second Language means teaching
english to students living in a primarily
english speaking country. Many examples of teaching
esl come to mind. Teaching immigrant students, from a country (such as
mexico or Laos) where
english is not the native language, in the U.S. can be considered teaching
esl. In addition, another example of teaching
esl could include teaching in
india where the status of
english is significant because of its use in commerce, trade, politics and other sectors can also be considered teaching
esl.
Teaching (
efl)
english as a Foreign Language means teaching
english to students where
english is not the primary language or does not have high enough of a status to be demanded as a second language. For example, teaching (
efl)
english as a foreign language would include
japan,
china,
mexico,
argentina, Turkey, etc.
The vast implications and motivations for teaching
english vary in cultural and social contexts. The motivations students have in learning
english often vary between teaching
esl and
efl. Adult
esl learners in the U.S. are more than likely to have immediate interests in learning
english since the U.S. is primarily
english speaking country. Some might be looking forward to a promotion at work while others simply might want to have an easier time shopping. Their motivation is often very high as many do not want to return to their respective countries
Although teaching either
esl or
efl has its differences, both share a number of teaching methodologies. A
teacher must prepare himself/herself by pre-assessing the class on (or before) the first day of class. This will give the
teacher a good sense of how well the students can speak, read and write
english, and influence how and what the
teacher plans for the course. It is also a tool for
teachers to determine what concepts need to be taught, as well as the desired performance. Some teaching methodologies (the author of this article) have found successful are to teach more inductively (for grammar—as an example--, give the example and have students elicit the rule). Another successful methodology would be teaching open-ended activities. Open-ended activities can include brainstorming, since it allows for multiple responses to stimulate and cue further interaction and teaching between students and the
teacher.
Whether teaching either
esl or
efl it is critical to the success of the class learning for the
teacher to get to know the students, have fun but challenging lessons, and plan lessons that will both motivate and meet their cultural differences.
http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2011/05/16/the-
esl-educators-
guide-the-difference-between-
eslefl-teaching-methodologies/