A Review An Acronym By Any Name

Izvor: KiWi

I do not learn about you but I hate acronyms. Yes, I know they have a convenience factor but they also seem to me to be potentially sinister, redolent of George Orwell's Newspeak. Our industry has its fair share of these and woe betide anybody who uses one mistakenly. Never, for example, say ESL or TESL whenever you suggest ESOL or TESOL. Why? As you might unwittingly offend a learner by referring to ESL (English as a second language) once the learner might be considered a speaker of many languages with English some way down the pecking order: it is politically more appropriate to refer to English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Therefore essential has this distinction become that the heavy hand of officialdom in britain now involves people seeking British citizenship to demonstrate that they've at least ESOL Entry Level 3 in the national 'skills for life' course (strange distinction, in the end we hardly need 'skills for death ~'~~). Examination boards now dutifully give ESOL qualifications that seem to have eclipsed the old EFL records, making English as a language somehow less relevant. Therefore have TEFL and EFL dropped status? Nearly, nevertheless they imply the use of English in international circumstances, perhaps among non-native speakers. Get more on this partner article directory - Click here: private_mastery_and_organizational_performance_50877 [Nuovi Linguaggi Informa . They still get a look in, but to teach English as a 'international' language requires different emphases. Like, the teacher would be required by TESOL to pay attention to conditions and contexts the pupils would meet in every day life within an Anglophone country. TEFL, to the other hand, suggests an orientation towards travel and global conditions. I do not dispute that these distinctions have their uses but the difficulty is that you can see the potential for a number of new acronyms on the horizon. Whenever we will start to teach EIL (English as an international language) or EIB (English for international business)? I'd cheerfully settle for good, old-fashioned ELT (English language training).