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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 foreignlanguage) students are basically the same as ESL(English as a second language) students. Here, Iwould like to point out one of the main differences andwhat 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 asa tool, when necessary. The EFL student has lessexposure to the language and may use ‘textbook’ orformulaic phrases in conversation. In many cases,even though the student has learned English atschool for many years, this may not seem to bereflected in their ability.The ESL student uses English as a second language. For example, in manyfamilies in the US, Spanish is spoken at home while English is spoken at work. Itmay be that the student has never formally studied English, but has picked it upfrom being ‘thrown in the deep end’, or forced to use it in the workplace. The ESLstudent has probably picked up slang and has been forced to speak Englishwithout paying attention to accuracy. They have great comprehension skills(listening, reading), but weaker production skills (speaking, writing) and muchweaker core language skills (grammar) but excellent vocabulary in their field ofwork or study.So which type of student should be easier to teach? For me, it’s the EFL studentand I will explain why.Have you ever heard this story about Zen Buddhism? A new student seeks tostudy under a great master and talks at great length to impress him with hisknowledge of Zen. The master pours him a cup of tea, but continues to pour afterthe cup is full, spilling tea all over the table. The master explains, ‘You are likethe cup. How can I fill you with knowledge when you are already full? Before youstudy with me, you must empty your cup.’The EFL student is like an empty cup waiting to be filled. The ESL student, onthe 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, somespeakers of European languages like to say ‘no?’ – ‘It’s true, no?’ Because theyare understood, they continue to use it and avoid using a more natural way of
An EFL student is an emptycup, but an ESL student isalready full
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