Korean Job Discussion Forums

kimcheeking · Guest

Ulsan Chris is correct,

Let me clarify with an example.

If I was to learn Korean in Canada I would be learning KFL, Korean as a Foreign language.

Learning Korean in Korea I would be learning KSL, Korean as a second language.

Hope this helps

deshell32 · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Not trying to doubt either of you but if that is the case why does my present contract for the UAE (which to my knowledge is an Arabic-speaking country) refer to my position as an "ESL" teacher.

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

AS I said in my previous post esl is often confused with efl. Efl is not a very well know phrase in comparison with esl. Most people just assume that all learning of english is esl. Most of the jobs that are advertised as ESl are actually EFL.

hojucandy · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Location: In a better place

canuckistan · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2003 8:47 pm Post subject:

I thought the difference between ESL and EFL is as follows: ESL is learning English as a second language (after your native language) and EFL is learning English as a foreign language (one of many you may be acquiring) regardless of where you are learning it .

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003

According to everything I've read, ulsanchris' definition is correct.

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Ulsanchris is correct, but I think it's a bogus distinction. How many useless acronyms can this industry produce?

Hint, there's a whole book of them for nerds who want to bone up!

saint_moi · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 9:08 pm Post subject:

EFL, ESL. 'To-may-toes, to-ma-toes. Rolling Eyes

mokpochica · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Location: Ann Arbor, MI

It's not really a bogus distinction. The reason I think this is because learners of ESL tend to be more motivated and need to use the language in their everyday life. English usually truly becomes a second language for them--like people in India or the Phillipines that speak English with their own countrymen. EFL is a totally different ball of wax because the learners don't feel the same necessity to learn English. It is just a foreign language to them---one that they might use with foreigners visiting their country, or if they travel to a foreign country, but a language that they would never really consider a necessity in their everyday life.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Mokpochica has seen both sides of the situation.

You learn English as a Second language in an English-speaking envoronment.
You learn English as a Foreign language in an non-English-speaking envoronment.

However, and Mokpochica grazed this lightly, in the Phillipines and India, you still learn English as a Second language because "everyone" learns/speaks English, but it's not their first or mother tongue.

All that said, 'ESL' is often used as a general term for the field of English language teaching.

Zark · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 5:38 pm Post subject:

An important distinction is that you may well teach different functions and notions in an ESL setting than in an EFL setting.

In the USA I taught Vietnamese and Brazilians ESL - and they needed to learn how to mail a letter, how to catch a bus, how to rent a house - all in English. These are things that students in an EFL settting would never need to do. So, with EFL we are more likely to be teaching students more general language skills - or sometimes more specific skills, such Business English.

Why would I ever teach a Korean, for example, the language for buying vegetables in a market - they will never experience it, yet in an ESL setting it might well be an important life skill.

Conversely, in Saudi Arabia I did teach ESL - but the purpose was for all the students in the program to pursue master and doctoral degrees in English-speaking countries - thus they needed daily life skills and academic language skills in English.

All that said, yes, generally you will see the distinction blurred and confused almost continuosly - and I think that UK oriented systems may well use different definitions for EFL and ESL. You will certainly read a great many different interpretations. However, ultimately, to me is seems that the distinction is for daily life AND daily work skills (ESL) versus for business or occupational functions only (EFL).

When I buy honey here, or have to negotiate for a hibernation den here - I study KSL vs studying KFL for my work (bouncer at the famous BEAR DEN BAR in Kangnam).

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Another important difference between the two is that usually in an EFL environment there is a common language other than English among the students (in our case, Korean), but in most ESL situations this might not be the case.

Leads to important differences in classroom dynamics, I would think.