TEFL
Teaching English as a foreign language
Commonly used when learners are studying English in a country where English isn't the main everyday language.
Example: an English teacher working in Thailand or Japan.TEFL, TESOL and English-teaching terminology
What's The Difference Between TEFL And TESOL?
TEFL and TESOL overlap much more than the names suggest. TEFL usually refers to teaching English as a foreign language, while TESOL is a broader term for teaching English to speakers of other languages.
Neither acronym is a universal quality level. A course called TESOL isn't automatically more advanced than one called TEFL, and a course called TEFL isn't automatically the same as CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL or a regulated teaching qualification. The useful question is what the training actually contains and whether it fits the work you want to do.
TEFLOften used for teaching English in non-English-speaking countries.
TESOLA broader umbrella term used across several English-teaching contexts.
TESLTraditionally used for teaching English in an English-speaking society.
ELTEnglish Language Teaching, a broad professional umbrella term.
The acronym map
Five terms you'll see again and again.
The labels describe teaching, learning or professional context. They aren't a neat ranking from basic to advanced.
TESOL
Teaching English to speakers of other languages
A broad term that can include both foreign-language and second/additional-language teaching contexts.
You'll also see TESOL used in qualification and university programme names.TESL
Teaching English as a second language
Traditionally used for teaching learners living in a society where English is widely used around them.
Example: English support for migrants in an English-speaking country.ELT
English language teaching
A broad professional term covering English teaching without forcing the learner or location into one particular category.
Common in professional and academic English-teaching contexts.EFL
English as a foreign language
This describes the language-learning context rather than the teacher-training qualification.
An EFL learner studies English. A TEFL trainee studies how to teach it.What changes with the teaching context?
The terminology shifts, but good teaching preparation still overlaps.
Choose a context below. This is why StudyTEFL uses combined TEFL-TESOL wording rather than pretending the two fields sit in separate boxes.
TEFL is the familiar label
Teaching abroad is where you'll most often hear the word TEFL.
Teachers working with English learners in countries where English isn't the main everyday language are commonly described as TEFL teachers. Good preparation still involves lesson planning, classroom management, language awareness, skills teaching, assessment and adapting to different learners.
Lesson planning
Classroom management
Language awareness
Teaching different skills
Don't mix up the categories
Some familiar acronyms aren't teacher-training labels at all.
One reason TEFL terminology becomes confusing is that teaching qualifications, English-language tests, classroom methods and professional fields all appear in the same conversations.
The easiest way to understand them is to ask: Is this describing a teacher, a learner, a test, a method or a qualification?
The acronyms matter less once you're actually teaching. The practical work still comes back to learners, language and teaching decisions.
IELTS
International English Language Testing System
An English-language proficiency test used for study, migration and other purposes. It isn't a teacher-training qualification.
TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language
A proficiency test, especially associated with academic admissions. Don't confuse TOEFL with TEFL.
TOEIC
Test of English for international communication
An English test associated particularly with workplace and professional communication.
TTT
Teacher talking time / Test-Teach-Test
The same acronym can mean two completely different teaching ideas: how much the teacher talks, or a lesson framework.
ESP
English for specific purposes
English designed around particular learner needs, such as business, aviation, hospitality or technical work.
SLA
Second language acquisition
The field concerned with how additional languages are acquired and learned.
IPA
International Phonetic Alphabet
A system of symbols used to represent speech sounds. Teachers may encounter it when studying pronunciation.
RP
Received Pronunciation
A particular British accent. It isn't the same thing as Standard English, and English teachers don't need to sound RP.
ALT
Assistant Language Teacher
A job title used particularly in Japan for teachers assisting or team-teaching in schools.
Why our certificates say TEFL-TESOL
Our training isn't restricted to one narrow teaching setting.
StudyTEFL courses cover the core knowledge used across TEFL and wider TESOL contexts: lesson planning, grammar and language awareness, classroom management, learner motivation, productive and receptive skills, pronunciation, assessment, online teaching, different teaching contexts and employment preparation.
That's why our certificates use the wording TEFL-TESOL Certificate. We aren't suggesting that two unrelated qualifications have somehow been bundled together. We're recognising the substantial overlap between the fields and the breadth of the course content.
You also don't need to pay for a separate “TESOL upgrade” simply to add another acronym to your certificate.
StudyTEFL course routes
Choose the training depth you need, not a different acronym.
All three current routes sit within the same TEFL-TESOL teaching field. The differences are in course depth, specialist content and practical feedback.
Complete TEFL
120-hour TEFL-TESOL
$39
The main all-round StudyTEFL route, with the complete 24-unit core, real classroom observation, scenarios and online-teaching preparation.
24 structured teaching units6 complete ESL classroom lessons15+ teaching scenarios12 months LMS access
Specialist TEFL
168-hour TEFL-TESOL
$54
Complete TEFL plus dedicated training for young learners and adult learners.
Everything in Complete TEFL40-hour young learner specialism8-hour adult learner specialism12 months LMS access
Practical feedback
120-hour Practical TEFL-TESOL
$69
Complete TEFL plus two assessed lesson plans and two recorded demo-teaching tasks with tutor feedback.
Full Complete TEFL core2 assessed lesson plans2 recorded demo lessons12 months LMS access
Optional knowledge check
Can you separate the acronyms from the concepts?
Ten quick questions. No timer, no streaks and no tricks. Each answer includes a short explanation.
TEFL terminology check
Use this after reading the page, or just jump in and see which terms you already know.
Finished.
The acronyms are useful. The training matters more.
Look at what a course teaches before deciding what the letters are worth.
StudyTEFL uses TEFL-TESOL certification because our courses prepare trainees across overlapping English-teaching contexts. Compare the routes, inspect the curriculum, and choose the level of training that fits your plans.