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A Guide to Common Acronyms in the TESOL Profession

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This guide attempts to define common acronyms used in the profession of English language teaching and in TESOL association publications and newsletters. 

  • CELTA: Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, administered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate and Royal Society of Arts, based in England. This is a specific, brandname TEFL certificate course.

  • EAP: English for academic purposes.

  • EFL: English as a foreign language -- English language programs in non-English-speaking countries where English is not used as the lingua franca. It is also used in some U.S. university programs where international students study English and are likely to return to their home countries after graduation or finishing course work.

  • ELL: English language learner -- often used to refer to a student in an ESL or EFL program.

  • ELT: English language teaching or training -- used internationally.

  • ESL: English as a second language -- English language programs in English-speaking countries where students learn English as a second language.

  • ESP: English for specific purposes.

  • ESOL: English to speakers of other languages -- used to describe U.S. elementary and secondary English language programs. It is also used to designate ESL classes within adult basic education programs and as a general term for ESL/EFL.

  • IEP: Intensive English program.

  • LEP: Limited English proficient -- often used to describe the language skills of students in ESL or EFL programs.

  • RSA: Royal Society of Arts, part of the Oxford Cambridge RSA group which administers a variety of exams for lifelong learning. More information is available at http://www.ocr.org.uk/

  • TEFL: Teaching English as a foreign language -- often used to refer to teacher education programs in EFL.

  • TESL: Teaching English as a second language -- often used to refer to teacher education programs in ESL.

  • TESOL: Teaching English to speakers of other languages -- a professional activity that requires specialized training. It is also the name of the association, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

  • TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language -- an exam administered worldwide to international students applying to U.S. institutions of higher education.

  • UCLES: The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), an institution of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. UCLES offers five main EFL examinations covering a range of abilities for EFL students.