From a critical theory perspective, it is vital for TESOL professionals to be aware of the issues around the dominance of English worldwide, and embrace the variations in English and local language use. Teachers can do this by showing respect for students’ home languages and cultures, being cautious about promoting the cultural values or ideologies associated with the countries where English is spoken (i.e., norm-generating), asking parents to read in their native language(s) to their children at home, promoting learning of languages other than English, and supporting educational policies that clearly encourage the maintenance of other languages. It is in this manner that TESOL professionals can serve language learners in various contexts, reduce linguistic imperialism, and support native languages of students.
ELL stands for English language learning. It has come to mean the study of English as another language. This term does not imply any particular context, but has been adopted frequently in the United States, particularly in the public K–12 schools. It has some positive connotations, because it places the focus on learning. This acronym emphasizes the study of language, but it shares an abbreviation of ELL, which can mean English language learner, a phrase which refers to the students studying English. Depending on the situation, this difference may be problematic. Other English professionals, those who teach English composition (writing) or literature to native English speakers, have vocalized some concern about the term, too, arguing that they also teach English language learning, but with a different population and focus. Others find the term to be redundant. All in all, it is considered a less problematic term than ESL and many educators use it.
Some other common acronyms that you will encounter in the field are NL, TL, L1, L2, NS, and NNS. Juanita is a native speaker (NS) of Spanish in Mexico. We can say Spanish is her native language (NL) or first language (L1). She is learning English as an additional language. In this case, English is the target language (TL) or second language (L2). She studies with Ms. Milagros, who is a nonnative speaker (NNS) of English. These common acronyms will be used throughout this textbook, so you may want to commit them to memory.
Differentiating the focus from language teaching to preparing language teachers
Anyone who has tried to look up teaching English by “ESL” will be familiar with the difficulties associated with the use of ESL versus TESL or EFL versus TEFL. Not only do they look similar, but also their meanings are sometimes confused. Generally, if it has a “T” at the beginning of the acronym, it means teaching English as a second/foreign language (TESL/TEFL) and is used to describe the preparation to become a teacher of ESL/EFL. The emphasis is on the teaching of the subject. Applying this rule, the acronym “TESOL” then indicates teaching or teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Two professional organizations, TESOL International Association (www.tesol.org) and International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) (www.iatefl.org), have the T in their acronyms, but are used to describe the processes of teaching and learning of English in differing contexts.
Another common acronym for teacher preparation is ELT for English language teaching. This term is often employed in the United Kingdom and other countries closely associated with Britain; for example, countries in the European Union and former colonies of Britain, such as Hong Kong and India. ELT is used as an inclusive term, which does not highlight context. It is considered an overarching term, which is a positive characteristic. Another positive characteristic is that the use of it reduces all of the acronyms. A con for the use of the term is that it is not precisely descriptive for insiders.
In some contexts, you may observe the use of TESOL or Applied Linguistics employed interchangeably. The reasons that these terms can be used interchangeably stem from the early emergence of the field in 1946. As the field was beginning to be established and was initially defining itself, it was concerned with research-based foreign language teaching (including English to nonnative speakers) (https://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/applied-linguistics). The field has continued to define itself and the parameters of study. Currently, according to the Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée (n.d.) or International Association of Applied Linguistics, the field of “Applied Linguistics is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary field of research and practice dealing with practical problems of language and communication that can be identified, analyzed or solved by applying available theories, methods and results of Linguistics or by developing new theoretical and methodological frameworks in Linguistics to work on these problems” (https://aila.info). In other words, the fields share interests in research on both second/additional language acquisition/learning and language teaching.
One minor difference between TESOL and Applied Linguistics is that TESOL focuses on English, whereas Applied Linguistics is concerned with the learning/acquisition of any second or additional language. For example, learning Italian in Italy if you do not speak Italian as a native speaker.
While it may appear overwhelming to newcomers to have so many diverse acronyms, their use has a practical application. The various acronyms help identify the population and context of instruction. They also indicate an orientation to the field to be inclusive and representative of learners and their backgrounds. It is best considered as shorthand or code for simplifying discussions among colleagues.
Questions for reflection
Why do you think the field has developed so many acronyms? Do you think they help professionals share important information about their contexts or do you think they are simply jargon? Why?
Which contexts do you foresee you will work in during your career?
How might proficiency levels be somewhat correlated to particular contexts? To what degree might this be true? What would be the exceptions to this relationship?
Being Proficient and Levels of Proficiency
TESOL educators describe the ability of a learner to communicate in oral and written language as their proficiency. While people outside of the discipline may use the terms “fluent” and “fluency,” TESOL educators tend to use these terms in very specific instances. Most of the time, we use the term proficiency, because it allows us to show the degree to which a person is able to communicate. For example, Kenan is highly proficient in English. Kate is moderately proficient in French, and Steve is moderately proficient in French and minimally proficient in Russian.
Organizations such as the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA), and the Council of Europe (Common European Framework or CEFR) have developed scales to describe learners’ abilities in specific language skills (i.e., speaking, listening, reading, and writing) or in general.
ACTFL Proficiency S
cales
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Guidelines were the first of their kind in 1982, and influenced other scales over time. ACTFL (2012) has a scale that starts with novice, intermediate, and then moves along to advanced and superior (for more information, see https://www.actfl.org/resources/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012). ACTFL is used by many world language educators. The scales in different language skills illuminate what the learners should be able to do at each level of proficiency (see Figure 1.1). For example, in speaking, a learner at the beginning level can use formulaic language to greet someone.
Figure 1.1 ACTFL Proficiency Scale. Used with permission from ACTFL.