Every field has its abbreviations, and the field of English language teaching is definitely no exception! It can get really confusing, though, especially when you factor in the different sub-fields and how they use their terminology! Here’s a helpful guide to begin to understand some of the terms in this field:
General Terms:
ESL: English as a Second Language. This term is generally used when teaching English in a country where English is the primary language, but it is falling out of favor because many students already speak two or more languages, and English is therefore the third, or fourth, or fifth language they’ve learned! Still, many websites, books, and practitioners in the field use ESL.
EFL: English as a Foreign Language. This is generally used for English language teaching in a country in which English is not the majority language (and, thus, a foreign language). TEFL may also be used (for Teaching/Teachers of English as a Foreign Language).
ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages. This is a more neutral term that can apply in all contexts, but isn’t used quite as often. This may be because it doesn’t quite roll off of the tongue so quickly.
ELL: English Language Learners. This term is often used to describe children who are learning English while studying in the U.S., although it may also be applied to adults. (For example, if you talk to a K-12 teacher who works with students learning English, s/he may say, “The ELLs in my school come from 20 different countries.”)
TESOL: Teaching (or Teachers of) English to Speakers of Other Languages. Again, this is an all-encompassing term that isn’t as easy to say! Many M.A. degree programs use this title, as well as the premier international professional association for these teachers.
Assessments
Note: Many of these assessments will probably be unknown to most native English speakers. However, if your English program is in any way helping learners to prepare for assessments, even informally, it is important to become familiar with the assessments that are used in order to be able to talk with students about them and help them prepare. It also may be helpful in learning how to label your program. For example, if you lead a conversational English group, you may want to advertise that it’s for CEFR levels A2 and up.
IELTS: International English Language Testing System. This standardized test for non-native English speakers for international study and work is jointly managed by British and Australian services.
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language. This test is widely administered to non-native English speakers to help them secure entrance to English-speaking universities. Students who want to study in the U.S. as international students will often want help preparing for this test.
TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication. This test is from the same administrator as the TOEFL, but focuses on using English for work, rather than educational purposes, with 2 separate tests: one for listening and reading skills, and one for and speaking and writing skills.
CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference. This scale standardizes levels of language proficiency of around 40 different languages, assigning 6 levels from A1 (beginner) to C2 (high advanced). It is not only used in Europe, but also in many other parts of the world. Learners who come from a place where CEFR is commonly used will often be very familiar with the framework and may compare their levels in casual conversation.
ACTFL: American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages. This is another set of 11 language levels from novice to distinguished that are used by many teachers to rank their students’ proficiency on a scale.
OPI: Oral Proficiency Interview. This is an assessment using the ACTFL scale that rates a student’s ability to listen and speak.
Cambridge: This is a word, rather than a set of initials, but it seems to still belong in the “assessments” category! Students in Europe may take a series of assessments to receive Cambridge certificates of different levels. These are helpful in being able to study in the U.K. or another English-speaking institution, or to get a job that requires a certain proficiency in English.
Still feeling a bit muddled up in the alphabet soup? Contact me to discuss your context. I will help you determine which assessments and programs are right for your context and explain how each one works, so that you can love your neighbors well as you help them learn English.
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