TEFL, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language, refers to teaching English in non-English-speaking regions to students for whom it is not their mother tongue (see EFL).
TEFL/TESOL qualifications have often been used as a way of traveling abroad for extended periods, which has developed into an educated nomadic community.
[edit] TEFL/TESL/TESOL
See also: English as an additional language
TEFL, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language, refers to teaching English in non-English-speaking regions to students for whom it is not their mother tongue.
TESL, or Teaching English as a Second Language, refers to teaching English in English-speaking regions 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 environment they are living in or not. The teaching materials, student motivation and English language exposure oportunities are typically different. Thus the actual lessons as well as the needs of the students are typically different. Professional issues are also often different. The terms are mutually exclusive.
TESOL, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, refers to both of the above two teaching situations and student groups inclusively. (It is also the name of a professional organization, based in the United States, which provides networking and information services to both categories of teachers.)
[edit] Qualifications for teachers
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.
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.
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).
[edit] Teaching techniques
See also: Teaching resources and KOTESOL
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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, activities, listening exercises and grammar 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).
[edit] Basic Global English
For learning English as an international language Basic Global English (pdf file) has been developed for the beginner's level (see also the linguistic theory (pdf file) behind Basic Global English).
[edit] External links
