Glossary of TEFL Acronyms

ESL - English as a Second Language: The term ESL is used frequently in the USA. If you maintain an EFL/ESL distinction, then ESL refers to English language learning in countries where English is the main and / or official language, and the student's own native language (first language) is not English. This term is problematic when we consider learners for whom English is their third or fourth language.