What's the Difference Between TEFL and TESOL?

If you are researching teaching certificate options to teach English abroad, TEFL and TESOL are two acronyms that you’ll frequently see. But what do they mean? And seriously what is the difference between TEFL and TESOL anyway?

Before I taught English in South Korea, I had graduated from college and I was on a tight budget. Based on my research, I determined that an online TEFL certificate made the most sense for me at the time. After I had taught in South Korea for a year and saved up some money, I decided to take an in-person TEFL/TESL/TESOL combination course that included a teaching practicum and cost about $1,000. Both programs taught me a lot about theories of language learning and teaching methods you need to know as an English teacher.

Based on my experiences, I’m here to help break down the difference. Let’s demystify the TEFL and TESOL concepts, and soon you’ll see what makes each unique -- and which one is right for your career teaching abroad.

In short, it depends. Choosing between TEFL and TESOL depends on your budget, how much time you have available, and where you want to teach English. We’ll dive into each of these more, but first, let’s go over what the acronyms TEFL and TESOL stand for -- and what they mean.

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TEFL programs are intended for teachers who plan to go abroad to teach students in a country where the primary language is not English. When students study English as a foreign language, they are studying it as an academic subject, the same way you would study science or history.

The focus of the class is for students to be able to understand grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening comprehension, and speaking for academic purposes. Students may prepare short speeches or perform skits, but generally, the purpose of speaking exercises is to focus on the proper use of grammar and pronunciation.

Academic language is important for students who are studying English as a foreign language because it is what students need to be able to read texts, write essays, and pass English exams that will get them into university. Some students studying EFL plan to study abroad in the future. The skills they learn in class will help them study for the TOEFL or the IELTS, which are both a type of standardized test that international students take before enrolling in a university in an English speaking country.

TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Training in TESOL methodology is generally recommended for teachers who plan to work with learners who are non-native English speakers living in an English speaking country.

Teachers help students to use English to communicate in their daily life in an English speaking country. This includes things like going shopping, ordering food at a restaurant, interviewing for a job, how to make small talk with coworkers, and so on.

What About TESL?

When looking at online teaching certificate programs, you may also see the acronym TESL, which stands for Teaching English as a Second Language. This term has become less popular in recent years. English may be the learners third, fourth, or even fifth language. Thus, many educators and researchers prefer TESOL because it is more precise.

TEFL, TESOL & TESL Tend to Be Used Interchangeably

The tricky thing about choosing a teaching certificate program is that these acronyms tend to be used as if they mean the same thing. Why is this the case? While TEFL tends to focus more on the academic side of English learning and TESOL tends to focus more on daily life, there is still a lot of overlap between them. TEFL and TESOL training courses share the goal of helping students improve their English abilities.

Take students who decide to study abroad in an English speaking country for example. They have likely been studying English as a foreign language for many years. Their teachers were likely trained in TEFL and prepared them to take the necessary college entrance exams. However, when they arrive, these students will need to learn skills from a teacher trained in TESOL to get by day to day in their new home, such as participating in class and running errands.

Additionally, they may need to continue to build on their academic English skills to get the grades they want in their program. Thus, taking classes that encompass principles from both TEFL and TESOL would be useful for them.

This is just one example of a situation where using both TEFL and TESOL methods would be helpful. Learners move to English speaking countries for a wide variety of reasons and learning English skills for daily communication and for academic purposes is useful for a number of English language learners.

For these reasons, some programs call themselves TEFL/TESOL or even TEFL/TESL/TESOL because they aim to prepare teachers to work with students in a wide variety of situations. On the other hand, “TEFL only” programs may focus primarily on preparing teachers to work abroad in countries where the main language is not English -- these are the kinds of programs and opportunities you’ll find here on Go Overseas.

Now, let’s get into differences in price, intensity, length, and value when it comes to TEFL and TESOL programs.

Differences in Price Between TESOL & TEFL