What does TEFL mean?
TEFL is a four-letter acronym, short for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Most people have heard of the terms TEFL, TESOL, TESL, and CELTA.
Some will say that it is all the same thing, just called different names by different institutions or even different names in different countries. However, this is not entirely true. For example, even though TEFL and TESOL are interchangeably used in many places, they have very similar yet different meanings at the core.
Alternative certifications
Let us have a look at the fundamental differences between the different certifications and what their acronyms stand for:
- TEFL- Teaching English to Foreign Learners/ Teaching English as a Foreign Language
- TESL-Teaching English as a Second Language
- TESOL-Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- CELTA- Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults