Teaching English as a second language

Teaching English as a second language

Teaching English as a second language (TESL) refers to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. The teaching profession has used different names for TEFL and TESL; the generic "teaching English to speakers of other languages" (TESOL) is increasingly used, which covers TESL and TEFL as an umbrella term. Both native and non-native speakers train to be English-language teachers. To teach English as a second language to English-language learners (ELLs), passing a written and oral test in English to demonstrate proficiency is recommended but not always required. In California, there is an achievement gap between native and non-native English speakers. English language learners in secondary schools tend to get lower scores in Standard English tests for English Language Arts compared to their peers who are more proficient in English. Combining teaching with traveling is called TEFL tourism.