What’s the difference?

EFL – English as a Foreign Language is taught to a mostly homogenous group of ELLs in a non-English speaking country

ESL – English as a Second Language is taught to any group of ELLs, primarily immigrants, in an English speaking country)

Objectives

EFL

Less urgency/ irrelevant to daily routine – speakers don’t need English in their everyday lives

Topical– literature, cinema, art, culture, conversation, etc. are all courses that could be offered

ESL

More urgency/practical – speakers need to use English to survive, so they’re less concerned with technicalities

Holistic – communication skills, reading, writing, ESP, “big picture”/long-term purposes

Our experiences…

Planning/preparation:

EFL

Focus on practice, especially speaking, pronunciation, and conversation

Exposure to authentic English

Reasons/motivation

ESL

Hands on/suitable for immediate needs

Explicit cultural instruction

Integration

Sources:

Oxford University Press, English Language Teaching Global Blog, article by Kate Bell – oupeltglobalblog.com

Teaching ESL to Adults – www.teaching-esl-to-adults.com

[19:00]

Identifying auditory learners

Good memory for conversations, jokes, music, lyrics, etc.

Enjoy discussion, debate, conversation, listening to music, etc.

Sing/hum/whistle to themselves

Prefer oral presentations to written reports

May read slowly and/or have trouble interpreting graphs, maps, charts, etc.

Teaching Tips

Beginning

Read directions aloud (while projecting them on the board or providing a handout)

Paraphrase/restate directions, especially difficult words

Allow students to record lectures

Word association/verbal mapping

Reading aloud (alone or with someone)

Books on tape

Mnemonic devices, like PARSNIP (stay tuned!)

Intermediate

Assigning oral presentations to supplement written work

Incorporating music and videos to supplement reading/lecture

Allow students to record lectures

Word association/verbal mapping

Reading groups to share/supplement written journals

Advanced

Assigning oral presentations to supplement written work

“What questions do you have?” (rather than “Do you have any questions?”)

Ask them questions, too

Encourage active participation so students get a variety of input from people with different backgrounds, levels of fluency, accents, etc.

Listening to/creating podcasts

Source:

The Study Gurus, “Study Advice for Auditory Learners,” article by Clare – www.thestudygurus.com

[38:57]

PARSNIP

Politics

Alcohol

Religion

Sex

Narcotics

–isms

What does the last P in PARSNIP stand for?

Tips for teachers – countdown:

5. Raising cultural awareness

4. Know your audience

3. Warm, but not hot (let them discuss something without it getting too heated)

2. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

1. Keep it neutral

Source:

LinkedIn Group, TESOL International Association, discussion started by Anes Abdelrahim Mohamed on July 4th