What is EFL? How does EFL differ from ESL? 2024 [Updated]

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Have you tried looking up exams in English for international jobs or any other reasons? If so, you would have come across EFL and ESL. Many people confuse ESL and EFL. Some even assume both are the same. Both are different. In this article, we will tell you what EFL is and how it differs from ESL. 

1. What is EFL?

EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language. It is for non-native English speakers in countries where English is not a very dominant language. In this English is learned as an additional language for various reasons. 

What is the difference between EFL and ESL?

EFL is English as a Foreign Language whereas ESL is English as a Second Language. They have a major difference that requires the teacher to teach it differently. EFL is taught to students who don’t have English as their native language. For example, if people in Japan learn English, it is EFL since English is not their native language. On the other hand, ESL is taught to students in a country where English is the primary language. For example, if Japanese people learn English in America. This difference though small is important.

2. Difference in Strategies

ESL and EFL though kind of similar use very different strategies when it comes to teaching. An ESL classroom tends to have students from different countries. But an EFL classroom doesn’t work like that. In this scenario, a teacher will have to be prepared to face different cultures, linguistic variations, and students speaking various languages. In an EFL classroom, students will most probably belong to the same country this way they can just concentrate on the class as a whole, unlike ESL where it requires individual attention. 

An EFL student learns English mostly for academic purposes so it should follow an entirely different teaching strategy. It is highly necessary for a teacher to know the difference between ESL and EFL. At the same time work according to the needs of the students.  

3. Teaching strategies involved in EFL

As already mentioned before, the teaching strategy of both EFL and ESL varies. Encouraging students to explore and look at new stuff will help them in learning with ease. Teachers can engage the students with new things which will make learning interesting. For example, teachers can make students listen to music and give them tidbits about the language. Teachers can also make the students conversate with native English speakers. This will help them in finding their areas of struggle and rectifying it.

Teachers will have to ask the students to converse more. Students should also be taught the culture and they should be engaged in fun activities. This will make learning more fun. If you want to become a person who teaches English as a  foreign language, the best choice would be to get yourself a TEFL certification.

4. TEFL

English has become one of the largest spoken languages in the world. It is globally accepted. For that reason alone, there is a huge demand for English speakers where English is not the primary language. It is where TEFL comes into action. TEFL is the acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TEFL courses will help you in getting a job abroad. When many people are willing to learn English, apparently, there will be many vacancies for teachers who want to teach English as a foreign language. In order, for you to become an EFL instructor, you will have to get TEFL certified. 

TEFL represents one of the fast-paced growing industries in academics. TEFL offers thousands of opportunities to teach English online and abroad. If you have gained a TEFL certification, you will be able to teach without any prior working experience or a teaching degree. 

5. Why take up a TEFL Course and get Certified?

• You might be wondering why you will have to take up a TEFL course and get TEFL certified. The answer to your question is as we already mentioned a TEFL certification will help you in getting a job at teaching where you can teach English for anyone irrespective of age or experience. TEFL jobs have a huge demand and you can get yourself to teach English anywhere.
• If you are going to get yourself teaching abroad, just get TEFL certified. This will help you get more salary. More than that a TEFL certification is validation for your English teaching skills.
• Getting yourself a TEFL certification after a course will help in boosting your confidence in yourself and your skills.  Taking up a TEFL course with real-life teaching opportunities and with a live instructor-led course will help a lot. Getting regular updates from your trainer will help in your growth. After taking up a course like this you will feel confident even in your initial classes. 
• When you are a proper TEFL-certified candidate, the prospect of switching jobs won’t be that terrifying. Since owning a TEFL certification means it’s not necessary for you to have previous teaching experience, you can easily switch careers too.
• If you have always aspired to be a teacher of English as a foreign language, then you can learn how the culture works too. This way if you really want to work abroad, then it will be simple with the perk of a TEFL certification.
• Since you can teach online too after getting TEFL certified, you won’t have to go through so much stress.

• You will get the opportunity to add international work experience to your resume.
• You will be able to develop your teaching skills. 
• You will even get an opportunity to learn other languages when working abroad.
• You can take a break off of your regular job and work on this because it’s less stress and more experience. 
• Teaching has always been considered as one of the best jobs. If you are going to teach, you are providing people with your knowledge. Because of your TEFL certification, you will be able to provide many more learners with the opportunity to learn English.

TEFL Course from Henry Harvin

If you want to be TEFL certified, one of our best choices would be Henry Harvin’s TEFL/TESOL Online Certification Courses. 120 hour TEFL/TESOL Online Certification Course from Henry Harvin is ranked No.1. This is a live instructor-led course which provides a 100% interview guarantee. You will be provided with access to 12000+ job in 20+ countries globally. You will also be provided 1-year membership of Henry Harvin’s TEFL Academy. 

Henry Harvin’s TEFL course is a 36 hours instructor-led course. You will be provided with 60 hours of e-learning access with many teaching tools and techniques video content and assessments. 

The certification from TEFL is from American Association of EFL  (AAEFL). You will also get TEFL Certification from Cambridge after you take up the Cambridge TKT Test. You can also get additional TEFL Certification from Training Qualifications  UK after taking their exam. You can also get Microsoft Certified by taking the Microsoft Certified Educator Program.

Henry Harvin’s TEFL Academy has 10 + years of experience in Teaching English to Non- Native speakers. The trainers also have experience of training 900 individuals. You can also attend multiple sessions from multiple trainers.

Membership Benefits

• You will be provided with e-learning access which includes recorded projects, videos, games, case studies.
• You will also be provided with interview support. 
• Henry Harvin also provides you with a guaranteed internship with Henry Harvin or partner firms. 
• You will also be provided with 100% placement support by job opportunities from the mail on a regular basis.  
• You will also get access to the LMS portal with recorded videos. 

Course fee  

Membership Fee: INR 6000/-

Certification Fee: INR 15000/-

Training Fee: INR 10000/-

E-learning LMS Portal Cost: INR 5000/

18% GST: INR 4248/-

Total Fee: INR 40248/-

New Year Discounted Fee: INR 15000/-

Why Henry Harvin TEFL course?

• Henry Harvin is the winner of Top Corporate Training Award, Game-Based Learning Company of the Year, under 40 Business World Award. 
• Henry Harvin is also affiliated with the American Association of EFL, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, MSME, UKAF, UKCert, Project Management Institute (PMI) and ISO 29990:2010 certified. 
• Reviews: 1440+ Google Reviews, 200+ Youtube Testimonials with 4.5+ Rating. Rated on Goa Board, trust pilot, Go overseas.

Who can take up this TEFL Certification Course?

• Aspiring teachers who wish to launch a teaching career. 
• Mid-Career Experienced teachers who are looking to teach abroad. 
• Corporate employees who want to change to a teaching profession. 
• Any Graduated who are looking for good career opportunities.
• Homemakers want to start a teaching career. 
• Applicants who are looking to settle abroad. 
• A retiree who wishes to be productive and gainful after retirement. 
• Any candidate who is looking for Part-time jobs to teach English online. 

6. Benefits of Henry Harvin’s TEFL Course 

• You can clear the TEFL certification exam. 
• You will be able to understand the nuances of teaching English to non- English speakers. 
• You can evolve and enhance your confidence in class.
• You can nurture the most effective teaching skills and methodologies. 
• You will gain an in-depth understanding of learner’s psychology. 
• You will also be able to evaluate candidates.
• You will be able to develop a unique and original lesson plan for teaching the students.
• You can enhance your productivity by means of adopting effective class and time management techniques.
• At the end of the course, you can develop an original lesson plan. 
• You can also connect with your students in innovative ways.
• You will be able to earn an acclaimed certification. 
• You will be provided with many job opportunities.
• You can also explore new countries.
• You can create your own best job profile and CV.

With all these course benefits Henry Harvin will be one of the best choices you can make when you want to do TEFL certification. A new batch starts every week. The next batch starts on 17th January and the next one after that commences on 23rd January. This will be the best TEFL online certification you can find.

We hope this article helped you in understanding the difference between EFL and ESL. With this knowledge in mind, you can work towards becoming a TEFL certified teacher. All the best!

Also Check the Review of Henry Harvin TEFL Course

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How to improve the English oral skills of students?

As a teacher, you can make your students conversate a lot in the classroom. You can also make your students conversate with native English speakers. This way they can learn new things. 

2. How to make English easy for the students?

You should not make your students feel that English is a set of rules that they will have to memorize for them to master the language. Language is a representation of a culture so as a teacher you will have to treat it like that and make your students do so. You can make English easy by conducting activities and games. You can even try field trips and pen-pals. This will be fun learning. 

3. Is the course from Henry Harvin accredited?

Yes, the course from Henry Harvin has the highest level of accreditation from AAEFL and it is recognized globally.

4. Who can take up this Henry Harvin course? 

Anyone can take up the TEFL course who has an extremely good command of English and is willing to teach. 

5. When can I begin the Henry Harvin course?

You can begin the course as soon as you are done with the enrollment process. 

6. Will my queries be solved by the trainer since it is an online course?

Yes, all your queries will be solved. It might be an online course but it is a live instructor-led course. So all your queries can be solved then and thereby the trainers. 

7. How will the TEFL certification benefit me?

When you earn your TEFL certification, you will be able to earn the most acclaimed and recognised certificate. You will receive numerous job opportunities from all over the world. You can also get access to highly paid jobs as an English as a Foreign Language teacher. Your resume will be upgraded with this certification alone. You can create a niche for yourself by showing your AAEFL certification.   

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