English as an additional language

English as an additional language is used to refer to the learning of English by speakers of other languages. The term is commonly abbreviated to EAL. In British usage, this is also simply called English language teaching or ELT. EAL covers both ESL -- English as a second language, and EFL -- English as a foreign language. ESL refers to the learning of English within an English-speaking region, while EFL indicates the learning of English in a non-English-speaking region. TESL is the teaching of English as a second language, and TEFL is the teaching of English as a Foreign Language. TESOL Inc. is the international professional organization of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

It's worth noting that ESL/EAL/EFL programs also differ depending on the variant of English being spoken; "English" is a term that can refer to various dialects, including British English, North American English, and other dialects. For example, students studying ESL/EFL in Hong Kong are more likely to learn British English, especially British idioms, which may make travel to the United States marginally more complex for them, as North American English uses very different idioms and slang. For this reason, many teachers of English as a foreign language now emphasize teaching English as an international language (EIL).

See also

• Language education includes further information on related terminology.
• Applied linguistics
• TOEFL - "Test of English as a Foreign Language", an Educational Testing Service test of English language proficiency for academic purposes.
• TOEIC - "Test of English for International Communication", an Educational Testing Service test of English language proficiency for business purposes.
• IELTS - International English Language Testing System; the IELTS tests are accepted by most tertiary academic institutions in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and by many in the USA.
• Idiom dictionary
• Writing with constraints
• Initial-stress-derived noun. This page could be very useful to those learning English as an additional language.

External links

• Internet ESL Journal (http://iteslj.org/)
• ESL Activites and Curriculum (http://www.efl-esl.com/)
• Teacher Resources (http://www.esl-lounge.com/)

simple:English as a foreign language

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