Teaching English as a Foreign Language

by: Endah Triningsih

TEFL or Teaching English as a foreign language refers to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student's own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English.
This article concentrates on the teaching of English by native Anglophones working outside their own country; it is important to note that this is a small subset of all the English that is taught worldwide. For a wider view, which explains the distinctions between different kinds of teaching of English to non-native speakers and which provides a full explanation of abbreviations (e.g. the difference between ESL and EFL, or TESOL as a subject and an organisation), see English language learning and teaching. For information about foreign language teaching in general, see language education and second language acquisition.