An expert guidanceEnglish teaching jobs.

Types of English as a foreign language teacher

Common terms used for English as a foreign language teaching are:

Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) - traditionally used for teaching English to people who want to learn English for work or leisure reasons. TEFL can be done in the UK or abroad and usually involves short-term study.

Teaching English as a second language (TESL) - more commonly used for people who live in an English-speaking country, but who don't speak English as a first language. These students may be refugees or immigrants, and need to learn the language in order to help them settle into society.

Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) - an umbrella term that commonly incorporates both TEFL and TESL (and variations such as ESOL and ESL).