Esl what does it mean

What is ESL?

You may be wondering to yourself, «What is ESL?»

ESL stands for English as a Second Language.

What is an ESL Program?

An ESL program is coursework designed to help students who are looking to learn English as their second, third, or in some cases, fourth language. These programs hire teachers that are often bilingual who are there to help students to develop their:

speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills.

Structure of ESL Programs

ESL schools help students become more fluent in English by breaking down concepts and language rules. Many programs teach mathematics, science, and history classes in a way that is easier for students who are non-native speakers. Oftentimes, these programs are located in English-speaking countries to give students a real immersion experience. There are ESL Programs that can be found in home countries as well!

Many ESL students can feel extremely overwhelmed being immersed in a country where they do not speak the language; it can be very frustrating, because they cannot understand or participate in a class that is entirely taught in English or in the outside world around them. Most ESL programs have support systems in place to help alleviate these frustrations, so be sure to research carefully when choosing a program.

Who are ESL Programs Designed For?

Many schools, from pre-kindergarten to high school, from colleges and universities to private institutions, have ESL programs. Eligible students — those that do not speak English in their homes, international students, and students that genuinely have trouble with English — are all welcome at most campuses.

Private ESL Programs

Independent ESL programs are vital, because they provide a small and comfortable environment for learning a different language. These independent ESL schools can be considered to be healthier places to learn English, because they typically offer smaller class sizes — fostering an environment of learning and one-on-one interaction. Independent ESL schools provide a wide range of opportunities for students of all ages from children, teens, college students, to adults.

For students with advanced proficiency, ESL programs can provide one-on-one instruction to help students learn how to reduce or change their accent, thereby perfecting pronunciation, allowing students to be understood more easily by others. ESL schools can help students learn more about common sayings, because slang and idiom phrases are prevalent within the US, Canada, Australia, as well as the UK, and will allow you to regionalize your language fluency.

Finding an ESL Program

Our ESL Program Search has an entire listing of independent English Second Language Schools in the United States and abroad which can be very useful for prospective students. You can simply click on a specific state to see which school is closest to your location and go from there. This site can also direct you to online ESL programs; you can virtually travel to different programs to find which one is best suited for you.

ESL programs can help students learn more about the local culture, values, and society. ESL programs can help you understand people’s jokes and enrich your understanding of the English language. These ESL programs can be geared toward precisely what you need to master, according to your current level of understanding. Additionally, they are personal, in that they can help you no matter what level you are at; they can help you with just one aspect of English or every facet that you need help in. Understanding English is vital to succeed in today’s international world because much of the international language is English.

About ESL Directory

The ESL Directory, an Envisage International Corp website, is the premier international student resources for locating English as a Second Language (ESL) programs from all around the world.

EFL and ESL: two sides of the language teaching coin

The world of language teaching comprises plenty of abbreviations. You have probably faced many of them: ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), ELL (English-language learner), ESP (English for specific purposes), EIC (English for international communication) and others. The “celebrities” among them, ESL and EFL, stand for English as a second language and English as a foreign language respectively. Representing the borderline of acquisition techniques, teaching methods and needs of learners, they still remain confusing for some educators, especially those who feel curious about implementing techniques of ESL in their initially EFL classrooms. Do we really need to cross the methodological line in our belief that ESL is way more efficient? Or is it better to resist temptation? Let’s discover the issue that has gained more popularity than we’d expected before.

According to Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada, authors of the widely acclaimed book called “How languages are learned”, the differences in acquisitions have to be taken into account from very early childhood since such information influences our teaching practice significantly: “This background is important because both second language research and second language teaching have been influenced by changes in our understanding of how children acquire their first language. …one significant research finding concerns the similarities between the first and second language acquisition”. The latter point sounds attractive, though starting early childhood the innate learning language capacity does differ. The response to these differences lies in the very existence of EFL and ESL concepts.

ESL: turning “second” language into the first

ESL, or English as a Second language, is taught in countries where it is used as a primary communication tool and an official language. ESL programmes serve the specific need: they pay special attention to the practice that will be necessary for the further integration of a student into society. Regarding young learners and juniors, it means adjusting them to use English regularly in the classroom.

Teacher’s role

Learners’ survival skills are at stake here, and teachers should consider personalised or differentiated methods to apply in the classroom to achieve the best results. Another key feature of a teacher in an ESL classroom is in providing not only language but relevant cultural and historic insights.

How the language is taught

How to choose classroom activities

The content should be diversified: ideally, daily communication practice should be wisely mixed with socio-cultural aspects of living in a country. Think about the insightful video and audio materials that contain these aspects and transparently cover them. Presentations and subsequent Q&A sessions or lively discussions are of great help. Other activities may include problem-solving tasks as a milestone of real day-to-day communication.

EFL: teaching and learning language in a non-native environment

EFL abbreviation refers to the situation when the target language is taught outside of the English-speaking world as a part of a curriculum in schools, colleges or universities. Initially perceived as a foreign language, English in these classrooms doesn’t offer the same level of exposure.

Teacher’s role

A lower degree of daily language practice makes the comprehension speed of learners lower, and students may experience difficulties with developing crucial skills. First and foremost, educators need to understand how to deal with the issue of limited hours of guided practice.

One of the most obvious solutions is to offer your group or/and individual students higher intensity of classes to be held. At least 2 or 3 hours per week is a comfortable pace that provides much-needed efficiency and visible results. If you are not sure how to convince students to book more classes, check the recent research conducted in Skyeng.

How the language is taught

Classroom activities

Fluency over accuracy principle is of utmost importance here, and to maximize the first, teachers should be familiar with the communicative approach techniques. Interviews, role plays and scavenger hunts together with other relevant activities should be offered to students to ensure real and effective communication. Using authentic materials may inspire students to simulate all the aspects of target language use after analysing how natives act in different situations.

ESL, EFL and things they share

In terms of basic language content being taught, there are no differences between EFL and ESL, though such things as a course syllabus, the place of language input and output should be taken into account along with individual purposes. Nowadays we are all living in a world where it’s easy to switch between various language environments. What it means is that students’ roles are changing too: they may start with attending EFL classes and eventually end up being ESL students. Not only should we be ready to help learners to cross this acquisition gap smoothly but also examine the ways of maximizing certain types of ESL content in our EFL curriculum (aka “lack of real communication” curriculum sometimes).

The great news is that more and more learning materials are becoming EFL-student-friendly. For instance, the CLIL approach has become a real game-changer, thus giving EFL learners more chances to discover other subjects’ content solely in the target language, just like in English-speaking educational institutions. Another key factor is the expanding community of native and non-native English teachers who collaborate and exchange ideas on teaching, boosting professional skills and students’ engagement. This conceptual shift affects the very existence of the EFL and ESL borderline, which is becoming more obscure with the constantly elevating language competence of students we teach.

What are your thoughts about the further methodological existence of these concepts? Are they to stay or to go? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Speaking activities are, obviously, essential for English language speaking classes. A lot of students join classes particularly to develop their communicative competence, become more fluent, versatile, adaptable, and confident communicators in English. However, designing speaking activities might be time-consuming and nerve-wracking for any teacher. We have prepared a memo with superb ready-made speaking tasks that will make your student talking.

Программа English as a second language (ESL): что это и зачем она нужна?

Большая часть программ обучения в частных школах-пансионах ведется на английском, поэтому от учеников требуется превосходное владение международным языком. На практике, учебные заведения нередко принимают детей с недостаточным уровнем, видя в них большой потенциал. Всех отстающих в языковом плане отправляют на курс English as a second language (ESL), который позволяет освоить английский, не отрываясь от прохождения школьной программы.

Что такое программа ESL?

ESL – это курс изучения английского, предназначенный для не носителей языка, которую также называют English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English as an additional language (EAL) или English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Предлагается частными школами-пансионами (Великобритании, США, Канады, Ирландии, Италии, Испании) иностранным ученикам для того, чтобы в кратчайшие сроки улучшить их знания английского, необходимого для эффективного освоения учебных дисциплин.

Особенности программы ESL

Курс ESL не входит в основную программу обучения школьников за границей, например, GCSE или A-Level, выступая дополнительной опцией. Предлагается только тем ученикам, у которых возникают сложности с английским языком, что затрудняет основной учебный процесс. Например, ребенок недопонимает преподавателя, не может свободно дискутировать во время уроков или правильно формулировать мысли, имеет проблемы с чтением и т.д.

Каждому студенту назначается персональный план обучения, который пересматривается на регулярной основе. Занятия ESL (ESOL, EAL или EFL) могут заменять уроки по каким-либо дисциплинам, например, которые ребенок не изучал в родной школе или которые не потребуются ему в будущем. Учителя ESL работают в тесном контакте с преподавателями-предметниками и репетиторами, чтобы убедиться, что ученик получает необходимую языковую поддержку.

Уроки проходят в небольших группах (2-5 человек) или индивидуально, что увеличивает эффективность курса. Дети работают над своими слабыми местами в языке, подтягивая разговорный и письменный английский, грамматику, чтение, аудирование и пополняя словарный запас.

Учебные центры ESL оборудованы рабочими станциями, видеоплеерами, специальным программным обеспечением, библиотекой. Детей призывают посещать кабинеты ESL в любое время, а не только в рамках занятий.

Плюсы ESL

Обучение английскому в школах-пансионах в рамках курса ESL помогает:

Квалификация преподавателей программы ESL

Требования к учителям программы ESL зависят от страны и школы. Как правило, учебные заведения отдают предпочтение профессионалам-носителям со степенью Бакалавра и квалификацией преподавателя ESL (например, с сертификатом TEFL «Преподавание английского языка как иностранного» или степенью Магистра TESOL «Преподавателя английского языка для говорящих на других языках).

What Is an ESL Teacher?

Whether you’ve set your sights on teaching English or just started in this field, you’ll likely come across an alphabet soup of abbreviated terms related to the English-teaching profession. One of these buzzwords you’ll have to be familiar with is ESL, and chances are, you’ll be teaching it in a classroom or online. But what exactly is an ESL teacher and what is this job all about?

What does ESL stand for? Is it the same as EFL?

In the English-teaching world, the terms ESL and EFL were coined to describe how English students learn the language. Understanding these types of learning is important because it affects the lesson content and language instruction techniques you’ll use as an English teacher.

ESL stands for English as a Second Language. When a non-English speaker learns ESL, it means that he or she is studying in a country where English is the native language. For instance, a Japanese professional who relocates to the U.S. for work needs to understand and speak English in order to communicate well with his colleagues, do his daily tasks, and blend into society easily. He is learning English as a second language, or ESL.

On the other hand, EFL is an acronym for English as a Foreign Language (add “teaching” and this is where the term TEFL comes from). Contrary to ESL, EFL is taught in a country where English is not the mother tongue. An example of this would be a Brazilian woman who’s taking English classes at a language center in Rio de Janeiro. She’s learning English as a foreign language and may be doing so in part because she doesn’t have many opportunities to practice the language in her day-to-day life, outside the classroom.

ESL/EFL

Though these two terms have distinct meanings, in reality, they’re often used interchangeably and sometimes even together. For example, you might hear someone refer to an American teacher abroad as an ESL teacher, or you might see a job posting for an EFL/ESL teacher. This is so common that it’s become acceptable, but as an English teaching professional, it’s still important to know the difference.

What’s it like to be an ESL teacher?

An ESL teacher may choose to work in a classroom or online, but the fundamentals of his or her role remain unchanged.

What does an ESL teacher do?

ESL teachers have a primary goal: to help English language learners achieve fluency in English. With this objective in mind, ESL teachers work with learners so they can communicate in English more effectively, both in spoken or written form.

Since ESL students may have a hard time transitioning to life in an English-speaking country, another role of ESL teachers can sometimes be to bridge their student’s native culture with that of their new home and help them integrate into a new environment where their native language isn’t spoken.

What are the duties and responsibilities of an ESL teacher?

An ESL instructor’s job doesn’t stop at teaching new vocabulary and grammar. Rather, teaching ESL entails other planning and assessment-related tasks, which includes, though is not limited to:

Cassie, ESL teacher at a language center in the U.S.

Why do people choose to teach ESL?

It’s no surprise why more and more people are drawn toward teaching both EFL and ESL, as this field offers attractive benefits and opportunities. The following are some of the reasons people teach English as a second language.

Rewarding Job

Perhaps your next ESL student gets admitted to an American university, or maybe that professional you’re teaching lands a job in a multinational company. In any case, your learner’s sense of pride and achievement will certainly be shared with you!

More than simply teaching a language, you’re making a difference in students’ lives because you’re helping them get a chance to explore the world or advance their academic or professional prospects. And although teaching ESL may have its share of challenges, they will easily be outweighed by the priceless feeling of seeing the rewards and impact of your work.

Online Teaching Opportunites

Do you want to feed that wanderlust of yours but still have a steady income stream? While TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) is the most common way to teach and travel abroad, you can also travel while teaching ESL.

For example, digital nomads teaching ESL online have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. Traveling while teaching allows you to explore a new country for an extended period of time, get better immersed in a foreign culture, and even make new friends.

Allie is an online ESL teacher who has enjoyed the benefit of traveling while teaching for a company called Palfish. “I knew I needed a remote job that would give me the freedom to work from anywhere. I love teaching and I figured it was the best way to be able to work remotely on my own schedule and still do something that I’m passionate about,” she says.

Flexibility

Is it possible to make a career out of teaching ESL online? Certainly! Take the success story of Carla, from Brazil, who has chosen to work full-time as an online ESL teacher and has even built her own client base through social media.

New skills

From time management to becoming an excellent leader, you can gain a myriad of skills from being an ESL teacher, which you can apply not only in education but also in any other professional field.

If you’re just starting out in the field and looking to pursue an English teaching career, teaching English online is a great way to build your ESL expertise and abilities as many online jobs don’t require applicants to have previous teaching experience. Aside from teaching ESL virtually, you could also gain new skills and experience by becoming a freelance ESL teacher, working with language learners in your community.

Your ESL teaching experience, either online or in-person, can lead to career opportunities abroad in the future, teaching English as a foreign language (EFL).

To whom will I teach ESL?

As an ESL teacher, you have the possibility to work with students of all ages and proficiency levels.

Students of various ages

ESL teachers may teach very young learners, kids, teens, or adults. The kind of learners you’ll teach will depend largely on where you work. Most ESL teachers work at language centers catering to adults who may be studying English to acclimate to a new culture, advance professionally, or prepare for admittance to university.

When you teach ESL online, you’ll also have a chance to teach various kinds of students. For instance, you could work for online ESL companies like PalFish, which caters to young students, or teach adults in online companies like English First.

While you can choose to have ESL students from all age groups, you can also specialize in a certain niche, like teaching English to kids or business English to professionals.

Students of different English levels

From absolute beginners to intermediate to advanced level students, your ESL learners may be of various levels too. And, depending on the company or your own preferences as a freelance teacher, you could choose to give one-on-one or group lessons. So, make sure to determine which teaching format works best for you.

Do I need to be a native English speaker to be an ESL teacher?

Definitely not! Gone are the days when teaching ESL was reserved only for native English speakers. As long as you’re qualified and your English level is high, you’ll find teaching prospects online and in various regions of the world.

Do ESL teachers need to be bilingual?

You don’t need to know a foreign language to teach ESL. A lot of ESL employers actually have a strict English-only policy in place so that students can get fully immersed in English.

However, if you do know another language, it can help you:

These advantages not only enable you to teach English better but also to build better rapport with your learners. However, even if you don’t know your students’ first language, you can still connect with them in many ways and, most importantly, through English!

What qualities and skills does an ESL teacher need?

Do you have what it takes to teach English? Here are some of the key qualities of successful ESL teachers.

Good communication skills

From giving task instructions to solving class problems, an ESL teacher must be able to communicate with his or her students well, regardless of their English proficiency level. This also means finding ways to overcome language barriers and using body language effectively to convey messages.

Patience

Part of an ESL student’s learning process is making mistakes repeatedly, listening to audio clips over and over again, and asking limitless questions about the language. As an ESL teacher, you should be patient with your learners – as well as with yourself – as you work with them towards achieving their English goals.

Flexibility

As an ESL teacher, you should be able to adapt to many situations, such as teaching different student levels, following a school’s syllabus, or helping students with special English-related tasks.

Time management

Tasks such as organizing class schedules and completing activities within the allotted time require an ESL teacher to manage his or her time well. Doing so is important in order to make the most of the day and class hours, in addition to preventing burnout and stress.

What are the requirements to be an ESL teacher?

Requirements to teach ESL vary depending on the type of job, the location, and the particular school or employer. These are some of the typical qualifications needed:

What challenges do ESL teachers face?

Teaching in person

While teaching ESL in a classroom allows students to interact more and do a variety of hands-on activities, English teachers have to prepare their classes, look for materials, and do administrative tasks like grade assignments and tests – all of which consume a lot of time and require good organization and time management skills.

Teaching online

Internet connection problems, software glitches, and students’ lack of knowledge about using certain technologies are just some of the technical issues that online ESL teachers may have to deal with. Additionally, online ESL teachers have to learn how to use platforms and software functions they’ll need to use for teaching.

To learn more about the teaching methods, technology, and tools needed for the virtual classroom, customize your training with our suite of Teaching English Online TEFL/TESOL courses.

Post by Krzl Light Nuñes

Back in her hometown in the Philippines, Krzl worked as a writer at a TV station before moving to Chile seven years ago. After she completed her TESOL certification, she worked for language institutes then decided to become an independent English teacher to business professionals. When she’s not giving classes, she’s either surfing along Chile’s long stretch of coastline, traveling, or practicing photography by the beach.

How ESL Programs Help Students Learn English

Andrea Rice is an award-winning journalist and a freelance writer, editor, and fact-checker specializing in health and wellness.

ESL is a common abbreviation used in schools and it stands for English as a Second Language. Schools will often use the term ESL (sometimes called ESOL or English for Speakers of Other Languages) when describing the programs that educate students who are not native English speakers and often for describing ESL instructors and students. 

Students enrolled in ESL classes at the K-12 level are also called ELLs or English Language Learners. ESL classes are also available for adults through various college and community programs.

What ESL Programs Do

Many schools will place children in an ESL program if their non-English speaking family recently immigrated to the United States or if a foreign exchange student needs extra help learning the language. But many ESL students enrolled in the U.S. public school system are actually U.S. citizens with limited proficiency in English. ESL programs are designed to give students special attention while learning and practicing English so they can integrate the language into a regular classroom.

Program Expectations

The amount of time that a student will spend in an ESL program will depend on their level of comprehension of the English language.

Teachers and their aides in an ESL program do not have to know every native language of the ESL students in their classrooms. Over time, they may pick up a few words from their students, but their primary focus is teaching the students how to speak, read, and understand English.

Many ESL programs go beyond language as well.   Many will help immigrant children adjust to American society and culture. Children enrolled in ESL classes will often take these lessons home to share with their parents.

How English Is Taught

Teachers who take part in a school’s ESL program are trained in specific techniques and tools to help their students learn English. While the curriculum may vary from state to state, the goal for ESL instructors is to teach ESL students to become proficient enough in English so that they meet the same academic standards as their native English-speaking peers.

An ESL class is unique because it will often include students who speak a variety of languages. The teacher must use techniques that all of these students will understand.

Pictures are one of the most commonly used tools because most children know, for example, what a dog, flower, or car looks like.   Drawings or photographs can help students associate those objects with the English word, no matter what their native language is. Repetition and demonstrations are also among ESL instructors’ primary teaching tools.

Many ESL programs will also use computer software to help students learn English.   The Rosetta Stone series is a great example because students can progress through the lessons as they learn.

Each ESL program will have different teaching methods and tools at their disposal. They will also have different standards for a student’s evaluation as they progress. The goal is to help students learn English as quickly and effectively as possible so they can join their peers in a regular classroom.

Abbreviations and Terms

ESL is just one abbreviated term associated with students who are learning English. Here are a few more terms that you may find when working with an ESL program.

United States Department of State, EducationUSA. What Are English Language Programs?