19 January 2015 / by Elena Riches

TESL, TEFL, ESL, EFL, TESOL and CELTA. Confused? Read on...

Whether teaching English is a career path that you want to follow, or you just want an excuse to live the good life in another country for a while, a TEFL certificate will get you off on the right foot because, the days when being a native speaker of English was enough to get you a teaching job are now long gone. Nowadays you almost always need to be trained and qualified accordingly - just because you know how to drive a car, doesn't mean you are qualified to teach someone else how to do it (particularly if you're a bad driver!) and the same goes for English...you may be a native English speaker but it doesn't mean you are automatically qualified to teach it.

The next step is finding a TEFL course that will give you the best opportunities once you have gained your certificate. Most respected TEFL schools/companies give their graduates lifelong access to their job placement services worldwide and the OxbridgeTEFL course does just that.

Whilst pursuing your TEFL course you will come across a variety of terms that may seem confusing: ESL, EFL, TESL, TESOL and CELTA being the most common. Essentially, they all mean the same thing - TEFL. The name changes depending on their country of origin. I have listed below a detailed explanation of each term:

ESL - English as a second language. This refers to English language programs in countries where English is the official language. Examples of ESL students would be immigrants or visa students studying English in an English speaking country (e.g. United States).

EFL - English as a foreign language refers to English language programs in countries where English is not the official language (e.g. Japan).

TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language. A term that refers to teacher training programs of EFL.

TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language. This is a general term that refers to many things. For example, a TESL program refers to a program where students learn how to teach English as a second language, a TESL organization refers to a professional organization that represents teachers of English as a second language and TESL may also refer to the teaching English as second language field in general (e.g. "I work in TESL.").

TESOL - Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. This term is used in the USA and refers to the professional organization that represents teachers of English as a second language.

CELTA - Certificate in Language Teaching to Adults. This is simply a trade name of the TEFL certificate courses developed in the UK by the University of Cambridge. The program trains people to teach English as a second language. It is a popular misconception that this course is what you should be taking in order to be fully qualified to teach English as a foreign language as it is no better or worse than any other TEFL course of 120+ hours. DELTA is the advanced Diploma course.

So, now that you're armed with enough information in order to make a decision about which course you want to do, if Spain is one of the countries you have thought about visiting, why not take the plunge and book an interview with OxbridgeTEFL course? The interview doesn't obligate you to doing the course, it won't cost you anything and it can be conducted by Skype. Click HERE for further information and to arrange your interview. You never know, this time next month you could be living your dream.

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December 2015

Comfortable settings in an ESL classroom

by Toby Knight

How well can you remember your first classroom at school? I can vividly remember walking into the classroom to be greeted by Mrs Magdalia, who had a book in her hand. She asked me if I knew what the word on the page of the book on the desk was. The word was “look”, and I didn’t know it, but I didn’t feel disappointed or unha...

01

December 2015

Learning Styles and the Different Approaches to Them

by James Ekins

We are all different; it is a part of the human condition. One obvious but often unspoken difference between us is the different learning styles that we can use. But how can these differences affect learning? Or teaching? In the early 90’s, Neil Fleming proposed one of the currently more prominent models relating to the ways that different p...

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September 2015

Use of videos to teach topic activities in an ESL class

by James Ekins

A great benefit of being able to use the internet in the classroom is the ability to draw on it for some excellent, previously inaccessible resources for learning. Perhaps most notably, the use of videos in a class can prove to be extremely useful. But, as with all things, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. So what should the standard...

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September 2015

Controversial Topics: How to Approach Them in the ESL Classroom

by James Ekins

Every one of us has at one time, in the classroom or outside of it, felt that sinking feeling – somebody in the group says a controversial topic, and that point is met by a wall of uncomfortable silence. Or worse, by a thunder of bristled opposition. Discussing hot-button issues can often be tricky, but it is important not to skirt away from ...

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September 2015

Returning after the summer break!

by Rob Wylie

September has come back around again and the summer holidays are well and truly finished, so that means for most of us it´s back to work and those nice lie-ins are a thing of the past. A bout of the holiday blues is more than likely to be affecting you so how can you get rid of those feelings and make sure you are ready for the new school yea...

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July 2015

TEFL Life Lessons

by Elena Riches

Throughout our lives we learn many lessons along the way and if you become a teacher, although you are teaching others, you are still a student - a student of life. Here are some TEFL life lessons that I learned on my road to becoming a TEFL teacher: ...

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July 2015

Motivate and Encourage Students. Learn how!

by Rob Wylie

Whether you teach a language, an instrument, a profession or a sport all teachers have many responsibilities. One of the most important things that a teacher must be able to do is ensure that they motivate and encourage students. With some groups or classes this can be easy but with others you may find...

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July 2015

TEFL Myths

by Elena Riches

As with a lot of professions, there are preconceived notions when it comes to TEFL (both good and bad) that aren't necessarily true. I have listed below a few TEFL myths and the reasoning behind why they are just that. FACT: Although it does help your cha...

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June 2015

TEFL teaching experience

by Elena Riches

If teaching English as a foreign language (commonly known as TEFL) is something that appeals to you, you may want to know what it's like before taking the plunge. Here, I am going to give you an insight into a real TEFL te...

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June 2015

ESL teaching and the Internet. The virtual classroom

by Vincent Chieppa

ESL teaching and the Internet - From Apple's iPod to Google's driver-less cars, technology is playing a massive role in the 21st century. This is not to say that it is the solution to 21st century education, but simply a tool to aid education and learning and, although it can be a great tool, any learning concerning technology should...

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19 January 2015 / by Elena Riches

TESL, TEFL, ESL, EFL, TESOL and CELTA. Confused? Read on...

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