ESL, EFL, ESP, EIL

ESL, EFL, ESP, EIL? 

    There are several acronyms which are used to describe the context in which we teach and learn English. This article is to point out the differences among the above-mentioned labels with the hope of clarifying how they are correctly used.

English as a Second Language (ESL):

  When a Chinese, Korean, Iranian or Japanese come to an English-speaking country such as Canada, American or Australia (as an immigrant, for example) they must learn the language because the environment or setting demands it for getting by in daily life. In the aforementioned countries, English plays a vital role in the daily lives of people with respect to government, business, education and personal relationships. This would also include students who are learning English in countries where English may not be the first official language such as India, Singapore or the Philippines. English learners learning the language in this context are described as ESL students.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL):

When a Chinese, Korean or Japanese person learns English in a formal classroom environment in their own country they are termed appropriately as EFL students. That is, there are no opportunities for students in these countries to use the language outside of the formal classroom environment. Moreover, the language does not play a vital role in the day to day lives of the citizens regarding business, government and personal relationships.

English for Special Purposes (ESP):

  This normally includes English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Science and Technology (EST) and English for General Purposes (EGP). This term refers to English which is geared towards a specific course or program (Nursing, Flight Attendants, Police Officers, etc). The idea behind ESP programs is that the content of the courses is determined by the specific needs of the unique group of learners taking the course (Doctors, Pilots, Nurses, etc).

English as an International Language (EIL):

         English is arguably the world's common language for science, business, tourism and communication. For instance, when a Taiwanese woman and an Italian meet during a vacation in Thailand and use English to communicate with each other. In addition, the native speaker variety of English used (Australian, U.K. Received Pronunciation, American, etc) in such a situation will not matter. English in this instance is simply used as a way of cross-cultural communication.

   It may not seem pertinent; however, English is learned within very different contexts. Also, people learn the language for multiplicity of purposes. Generally speaking, we should refer to learners learning English in an English-speaking Environment as ESL learners and those learning English in a context where English is a foreign language as EFL learners. On that note, many teachers in Korea, China and Taiwan may prefer to refer to their contexts as EIL.