|
The world of ESL is rife with similar sounding acronyms and terms that can mean very different things, so it can be difficult to navigate among the different educational and career options in the field. We've created this handy glossary to help you make sense of the many confusing bilingual education terms you will encounter as you earn your degree and pursue your career. 
BE Bilingual Education: A method of teaching English language learners in the US whereby subjects are taught in English as well as the students' native language.
"Nadia enrolled in a BE program instead of an entirely English speaking program when she came to the US." EFL English as a Foreign Language: Another bilingual education term that refers to the English language when taught to students in non-English speaking regions.
"Many Japanese students learn EFL throughout their school career." ELL English Language Learner: A US government and school system term referring to students who are learning the English language for use within an English speaking region.
"Today, I taught my ELLs how to conjugate verbs." ESL English as a Second Language: A bilingual education term that refers to the English language when taught in the U.S. to students whose first language is not English.
"Juan attends his ESL class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays."
TEFL Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Often referred to as "travel teaching," the act of teaching basic and/or travel English to students in a foreign country.
"Marie went to Ecuador to teach with a TEFL program the summer after she graduated." TESL Teaching English as a Second Language: The act of teaching standard American English to immigrants in the US who come from non-English-speaking regions.
"Karen enjoys being a TESL teacher because she loves bilingual students but wants to live near family." TESOL Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: An inclusive bilingual education term that covers teaching English as a second language (TESL) and teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).
"Sam got his Master of Education in TESOL through Grand Canyon University online." TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language: A test in standard American English, administered to people whose first language is not English. The scores are used to determine eligibility for college or university admittance, or hiring and placement within companies or professional and governmental programs.
"Sue Kim took the TOEFL last month so she could get into the University of Pittsburgh in the fall." This is just a sampling of the bilingual education and English as a second language acronyms you will encounter in your studies. However, this list covers the most common terms you're likely to find.  |
