Job Discussion Forums

Rice Paddy Daddy · Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Japan

Are you teaching ESL in Korea or EFL?

Or are you teaching EIL?

It seems to me that most people here use ESL in place of EFL.

Why?

SandyMcIvor · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:11 am Post subject:

ESL sounds better: Even Dave's here should be "Dave's EFL Cafe" if you are being a stickler about it.

The thing is that, what with globalization and all, the distinction is fading.

(But yes, it SHOULD be EFL that is being taught in Korea).

Rice Paddy Daddy · Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Japan

What's the difference between ESL and EFL?

What is EIL?

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

ESL (English as a Second Language) is the acronym for people who are teaching or learning English

in a country where English is already the first language, ie. England, Australia, Canada, etc.

whereas

EFL (English as a Foreign Language) is the acronym for people who are teaching or learning English

in a country where English is not the first language.

In plain English,

a Korean studying English in Canada would enroll in an ESL program.

whereas

a Korean studying English in Korea would enroll in an EFL program.

EIL, if I'm not mistaken, stands for English as an International Language, and is synonymous

with EFL and/or ESL but is used less frequently.

Today, TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

seems to be gaining ground as the most popular acronym of all.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

In Japan, most learn ENAR. English for No Apparent Reason.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

there is also PTLE Pretending To Learn English, a highly valued skill in Korea whereby you pay to have a Westerner entertain you and pass off said entertainment as being equivalent to WORKING HARD FOR A SERIOUS EDUCATION.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

ENAR?

I've always added another dimension to the ESL/EFL distinction. Yeah, generally in an English-speaking country we teach ESL, and in other countries it's EFL. But...

What about international students who travel to the US, UK, New Zealand, etc., for a semester and then return home? To me, that is still EFL. English will not become a "second language" for them--in many cases, it is just a hobby. I have taught EFL in the US. ESL, I think, is for immigrants who intend to stay in the country.

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