Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Categories: English language | Language education


TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language – refers to teaching English in non-English speaking countries to students for whom it is not their mother tongue (see EFL).

TESL – Teaching English as a Second Language – refers to teaching English in English speaking countries to students for whom it is not their mother tongue.

The teaching profession has two distinct terms for these because the language learning experience of the students is different depending on whether the language is the native language of the place they are living in or not. The teaching materials, student motivation and English language exposure oportunities are typically different. Thus the actuall lessons as well as the needs of the students are typically different. Professional issues are also often different. Whether or not two distinct terms are really necessary here the profession has these two distinct terms that mean mutually exclusive things and thus are not interchangeable. If you mean both, use TESOL.

TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages – refers to both of the above two teaching situations and student sets inclusively. If you mean both then use TESOL. TESOL is also the name of the professional organization of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (http://www.tesol.org) which provides networking and information services to both of the above two categories of teachers.

ESL – English as a Second Language – refers to the growing number of school programs in US schools attempting to provide education for children who have immigrated from other countries. It may be taught by either native or non-native speakers of English, although the former are generally considered preferable, as is the case with instruction of any language. Common qualifications for TEFL teachers within the British sphere of influence include certificates and diplomas issued by UCLES (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate) and Trinity International Examinations Board of Trinity College, London.

TESOL qualifications have often been used as a way of traveling abroad for extended periods, which has developed into an educated nomadic community. The pay for EFL teaching is highest in the Middle East, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. In some teaching circumstances it can be adequate in Britain, although plenty of exploitative schools still exist.


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Courses for teachers

  • UCLES
    • CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). The CELTA course is perhaps the most widely taken and accepted course for new teacher trainees. It is often taught over 6 months or in a very intensive 1 month period.
    • DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults). The DELTA is for teachers who already have significant TEFL experience and is often a requirement for teachers wanting to break into school management and or become teacher trainers. The course is very demanding.

For more details on CELTA courses - CELTA Course Directory


  • Trinity
    • CertTESOL (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Considered equivalent to the CELTA (see above)
    • LTCLTESOL (Trinity Licentiate Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Considered equivalent to the DELTA (see above).

This site has a good listing of up-to-date ESL, EFL and TEFL Jobs: TEFL Jobs

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Teaching Techniques

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Reading

The technique of using literature aimed at children and teenagers for TEFL is rising in popularity. Both types of literature offer simpler material ("simplified readers" are produced by all the major publishers), and are often written in a more conversational style than literature aimed at adults. Children's literature in particular sometimes provides subtle cues to pronunciation, through rhyming and other wordplay. One technique for using these books is called the "multiple-pass technique". The instructor reads the book, pausing often to explain words and concepts. On the second pass, the instructor reads the book completely through without stopping.

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Issues in NE Asia

South Korea has a great demand for native English speakers willing to teach, to the degree that institutions sometimes even pay for the round-trip airfare of a teacher with any university degree. However, as with all occupations, when working in a foreign country there is a danger of exploitation by employers. Among English teachers, South Korea has the unfortunate reputation of being among the worst offenders, particularly with regard to the payment of salary and benefits.

Teachers considering accepting employment in South Korea should refer to the U.S. Embassy warning concerning such employment and not accept a position with a school that does not give them confidence.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1018.html

Teaching English in northern East Asia can be stressful, since English courses are often overpopulated, with pupils from 4 to 16 years of age who tend to be rather shy, and who are forced to study after school because of their parents' intent on their academic success.

Monthly pay in such schools is around the USD 2,000 mark, with an extra month's bonus if the teacher fulfills his or her contract. Many teachers who cannot cope with the stresses of teaching leave after receiving their first few salary cheques.

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Blended Learning

The concept of Blended learning has been much discussed recently among teachers of English as a foreign language. recent studies have shown that ELT and EFL benefit greatly from a combination of face-to-face teaching and interactive (and therefore frequently electronic) practice activity. This can be achieved through the adoption of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

VLEs have been a major growth point in the TEFL industry over the last 5 years. They are developed either as an externally-hosted platforms onto which content can be exported by a school or institution (examples being 'Worldwide Web Course Tools, WebCT' or the 'Blackboard' VLE) or as content-supplied, course-managed learning platforms (an example being the 'Macmillan English Campus').

The key difference is that the latter is able to support course-building by the language school. This means that teachers can blend their existing courses with games, activites, listening exercises and grammer reference units that are contained online. This has applications in the classroom and as self-study or remote practice (for example in an internet café).

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External links