ESL vs EFL

Teacher Training Discussion Points from www.roadtogrammar.com

The world of teaching English is a world of acronyms.

People often assume that EFL (English as a foreign
language) students are basically the same as ESL
(English as a second language) students. Here, I
would like to point out one of the main differences and
what this means to English teachers.

The EFL student learns English in the classroom,

mentally puts it on a shelf, and brings it out to use as
a tool, when necessary. The EFL student has less
exposure to the language and may use ‘textbook’ or An EFL student is an empty
formulaic phrases in conversation. In many cases, cup, but an ESL student is
even though the student has learned English at already full
school for many years, this may not seem to be
reflected in their ability.

The ESL student uses English as a second language. For example, in many
families in the US, Spanish is spoken at home while English is spoken at work. It
may be that the student has never formally studied English, but has picked it up
from being ‘thrown in the deep end’, or forced to use it in the workplace. The ESL
student has probably picked up slang and has been forced to speak English
without paying attention to accuracy. They have great comprehension skills
(listening, reading), but weaker production skills (speaking, writing) and much
weaker core language skills (grammar) but excellent vocabulary in their field of
work or study.

So which type of student should be easier to teach? For me, it’s the EFL student
and I will explain why.

Have you ever heard this story about Zen Buddhism? A new student seeks to
study under a great master and talks at great length to impress him with his
knowledge of Zen. The master pours him a cup of tea, but continues to pour after
the cup is full, spilling tea all over the table. The master explains, ‘You are like
the cup. How can I fill you with knowledge when you are already full? Before you
study with me, you must empty your cup.’

The EFL student is like an empty cup waiting to be filled. The ESL student, on
the other hand, is like the cup that is already full. The ESL student may have
‘false friends’ that he uses to make himself understood. For example, some
speakers of European languages like to say ‘no?’ – ‘It’s true, no?’ Because they
are understood, they continue to use it and avoid using a more natural way of
saying it – ‘It’s true, isn’t it?’ Simply teaching them what is correct and what isn’t
is not enough. You are asking them to change the way that they have been
speaking, maybe for years. What you are asking of them is behavioral change.
And any training that involves behavioral change is a lot more challenging than
training that simply involves knowledge transfer or gaining a new skill.

In summary then, one of the main differences between teaching ESL and EFL
students is that, although ESL students often have better skills in many areas, to
move forward, they need behavioral change.