Basically nothing — they are generally accepted as interchangeable. There are a number of confusing acronyms in the EFL world which can lead to bad decisions.

Please check out our acronyms page using the following link.

Before we go any further, however, lets look at some of the acronyms we use in the profession that often confuse prospective entrants and often lead to bad or mis-informed decisions.

What exactly is TEFL/TESOL?

As we said at the beginning - this is probably the one question that we find ourselves answering the most.

TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

This term is predominantly used when English is being taught in a country where it isn’t the native language - for example teaching English to Spanish people in Spain or Italian people in Italy.

TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language.

This is where English is being taught to non-native speakers of English in a country where it is the native language - for example teaching immigrants to the United Kingdom or in the United States.

TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

This is in effect a global term used to encompass both the TEFL and TESL acronyms.

ELT - English Language Teaching.

This is used mainly by teaching institutions and is again a global term.

Technically there are slight differences in theory, which is why we at Tlc prefer the anacronym TESOL, as this leaves no room for doubt, and all Tlc courses are run under this banner.

CELTA - Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. (Note: this course and qualification is aimed at teaching adults only).

ESP - English for Specific Purposes.

This is where English is taught in a specific subject area eg. Nautical English or the language necessary for an airline pilot to upgrade his licence.

Distance Training - Stand alone courses versus Hybrid courses.

A stand alone course for many trainees is a good option eg. they already have teaching experience or are currently working as a teacher, but it should be stressed that for “first timers” this is very much like reading a book about driving and then taking your driving test without ever having sat behind the wheel of a car.

A hybrid course is a distance training programme (the same as stand alone) with an “intensive” presence taught component for assessed teaching practice, lesson observations etc., with additional face to face imput.