FOCUS ON LANGUAGE

English

17

EL TEACHING TERMINOLOGY

March 2013

Term

Meaning

Description

SCHOOL VOCABULARY

TESOL

1. Teachers of English to

The first meaning is the name of the professional orga-

Speakers of Other Lan-

nization that you now belong to and which is providing

VOCABULARY ITEMS RELATED

guages, Inc. (TESOL)

this course.

2. Teaching English to

The second meaning is a common way of referring to the

TO EDUCATION

Speakers of Other Lan-

professional field of English teaching.

guages

Education: The process of teaching or learning in

ESL

English as a Second Lan-

English is learnt within an environment where it is the pri-

a school or college, or the knowledge that you get

guage

mary language and most or many people speak it.

from this.

EFL

English as a Foreign Lan-

English is learnt within an environment where it is not the

Educational systems are established to provide

guage

primary language, it is taught as a school subject.

education and training, often for children and the

EIL

English as an International

The term refers to the English language as a global

young.

Language

means of communication in numerous dialects, and also

Educational goals: Each country identifies the

the movement towards an international standard for the

language.

educational goals to be achieved by its educational

system.

TESL/

Teaching English as a

The term emphasizes the methodology of how to make

Educational background: Past experience in

TEFL/

Second language/foreign

the process of second/foreign language learning more

TEIL

language/international

effective.

education. To become an engineer in Electronics

you need to have a scientific educational back-

language

ground.

ELL

English Language Learner/

The term reflects a greater emphasis on the learner first,

School subject: A course or area of study: math-

Learning

then on the process of learning of English.

ematics, English, French, physics...are school sub-

ELT

English Language Teaching

The term reflects a greater emphasis on the teacher and

jects.

teaching English approaches, methods, techniques in the

School year: The school year starts in September

classroom.

and ends in June.

L1

The first language

The native language

School uniform: It is obligatory that students wear

L2

The second language

Any language being learnt beyond the native language.

school uniforms in some schools.

SCT

Socio-cultural teaching

The language teaching with the focus on target culture

Private lessons: Some students need private les-

acquisition alongside with the language.

sons to keep up with their mates in learning some

EAP

English for Academic Pur-

It entails training students, usually in a higher education

school subjects.

poses

setting, to use language appropriately for study. An EAP

Private schools: Students who

go to private

program focuses instruction on skills required to perform

schools pay fees.

well in an English-speaking academic context.

University graduate: A person who holds a uni-

ESP

English for Specific Pur-

It is a sphere of teaching English including technical Eng-

versity or college degree.

poses

lish, scientific English, English for medical professionals,

University degree: An academic title given by a

English for waiters, and English for tourism.

college or university to a student who has com-

pleted a course of study.

CALL

Computer-Assisted Lan-

An approach to language learning that puts emphasis on

Learning needs: Learners should identify their

guage Learning

use of computer technologies to foster language learning

in the modern society.

learning needs in order to get the appropriate

learning.

TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign

An international exam of English as a foreign language,

Learning strategies (or study skills) are tech-

Language

widely respected in the world and recognized by more

than 7.500 educational institutions, available in two for-

niques used to proceed in your own learning.

mats: paper-based and computer-based.

Learning goals are the target behavior a learner

attains through his learning experience.

CLT

Communicative Language

An approach to language teaching that prioritizes real

Teaching

communicative ability in real life situations.

Adult illiteracy is a major concern for any devel-

TPR

Total Physical Response

A method of teaching based on the combination of speech

opment.

and action. James Ascher was the inventor of this method

Adult education is the practice of teaching and

in the 60s. It mainly teaches the imperative mode and it

educating adults.It has become common in many

focuses on physical words. So the emphasis is put on giv-

countries. It takes on many forms, ranging from for-

ing commands and having students act out those com-

mal class-based learning to self-directed learning.

mands.

There are more than 800 million adults that cannot

TTT

Teacher’s talking time.

The teacher talking in front of the whole class for some

read or write. Adult education usually takes place

period of time.

in the evening.

Formal education results from a program of in-

ELF

English as a lingua franca

English is viewed as a language of business or govern-

ment communication.

struction in an educational institution leading to a

qualification / certification.

CLL

Community/Counseling

It is a teaching method that applies counseling practices

Informal education occurs in daily work, leisure

Language Learning

into a FL classroom and addresses the affective factors in

language learning. It is based on co-operation and inter-

or family.

action of students.

Non-formal education results from a program but

LFS

Limited Formal Schooling

Students are terrified about being back in classroom, not

it is not usually evaluated and doesn’t lead to cer-

ready to participate or interact because of having a hard

tification.

time in the classroom.

Basic education refers to the whole range of edu-

PST

Pre-service teachers

Future or prospective teachers involved in the system of

cational activities taking place in various settings

teacher-training education.

(formal, non formal and informal), that aim to meet

basic learning needs. According to the Internation-

ª

al Standard Classification of Education (ISCED),

English

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE

18

Term

Meaning

Description

Meta-

Meta-linguistic competence

The ability to talk about the language, i.e. use appropriate

March 2013

linguistic

terminology words like “conditional”, “clause”, “reported

compe-

speech”.

SCHOOL VOCABULARY

tence

ZPD

Zone of proximal develop-

The space just above the learner’s current understanding,

basic education comprises primary education (first

ment

which is involved in learning when an individual interacts

with a more knowledgeable peer/teacher. Vygotsky’s

stage of basic education) and lower secondary

theory (1978)

education (second stage). In countries (develop-

IKP

Inert knowledge problem

Students are not able to use that they’ve learnt in the

ing countries in particular), Basic Education often

classroom for their own purposes (in real-life communi-

includes also pre-primary education and/or adult

cation).

literacy programs.Universal basic education is re-

NA

The National Approach

A method of language teaching introduced by S.Krarhen

garded as a priority for developing countries.

and T.Terrell, aimed at fostering communications, stu-

Primary education: Primary (or elementary) edu-

dents are encouraged to use a target language as a tool

cation consists of the first years of formal, struc-

for communications, not much focus on grammar.

tured education. In general, primary education con-

STM

Short term memory

A student remembers a word or structure for 20–30 sec-

sists of six or seven years of schooling starting at

onds.

the age of 5 or 6, although this varies between, and

sometimes within, countries.

LTM

Long term memory

Memory that is lasting from hours to days.

Secondary education is the stage of education

PM

Permanent memory

A student remembers a word or structure for good, re-

following primary education. Except in countries

peated exposure and language practice is needed for it.

where only primary or basic education is compul-

CALLA

Cognitive Academic Lan-

A form of integrated skill instruction that shows how lan-

sory, secondary education includes the final stage

guage Learning Approach

guage learning strategies can be integrated into the si-

of compulsory education and in many countries it is

(created by Chamot and

multaneous learning of content and language.

entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is

O’Malley, 1994)

usually college or university.

TBL

Task-based Learning

An approach of integrated skill instruction that stresses do-

Higher education, also called tertiary, third stage,

ing tasks that require real communicative language use.

or post secondary education, is the non-compul-

CBL

Content-based learning

Puts emphasis on learning content thought language,

sory educational level that follows the completion

when students practice all language skills in an integrat-

of a school providing a secondary education, such

ed, communicative fashion while learning content.

as a high school, secondary school. Tertiary edu-

PPP

Presentation – Practice –

Three orderly stages of working over a new language

cation is normally taken to include undergraduate

Production

point at the lesson.

and postgraduate education, as well as vocational

WCTF

Whole-Class Teacher-

The teacher explains, gives examples, instructions in

education and training.

Fronted

front of the class.

Colleges and universities are the main institutions

TL

Target language

The foreign or second language a learner studies to be

that provide tertiary education. Collectively, these

proficient in it.

are sometimes known as tertiary institutions. Terti-

ary education generally results in the receipt of cer-

NS

Native speaker

A person for whom English (or another language) is the

tificates, diplomas, or academic degrees.

first language.

NNS

Nonnative Speaker

A person for whom English is not the first or native lan-

http://www.myenglishpages.com

guage, but the second or foreign language being learnt.

ENL

English as a New Language

English is viewed more as another language being learnt,

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITISH ENGLISH

not necessary the second, but the third, fourth …

AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

“Sage

“Sage on the stage” teach-

A teacher is a classroom leader who knows everything, so

“Stop mucking around and get on with your work,”

on the

er’s role

she/he has to transfer her/his knowledge to students and

stage”

is satisfied if students understand her/his explanations. It

shouted the teacher to two students who were off

teacher’s

happens in the teacher-centered classrooms.

task.

role

British English

American English

“Guide

“Guide on the side” teach-

A teacher is a tutor, advisor or a coach who gives help

on the

er’s role

when it is needed or asked for by students. It happens

Friend/Mate

Friend

side”

in the student-centered classrooms when the focus is

Rubber

Eraser

teacher’s

more on learning than on teaching, when students are

Maths

Math

role

motivated to analyze, think and discover language norms

Public School

Private School

for themselves.

State School

Public School

Interlan-

Interlanguage

A period when language learners are using a foreign lan-

Holiday

Vacation

guage

guage imperfectly. Their mistakes, inaccurate language

Packed lunch

Sack lunch/

use, are viewed as a sign of their progress, not as their

bag lunch

failure. Interlanguage period is inseparable from language

School dinner

Hot Lunch

learning and progress.

Staff Room

Teachers Lounge

Peer-

Peer-editing skills

Language learners’ abilities in checking and improving the

Plimsolls

Gym Shoes

editing

works of their co-students.

“Mucking Around”/Off Task

Off Task/Fooling

skills

Around/“Goofing Off”

Informa-

Information gap

A technique, widely used in communicative language

Play Time/Break Time

Recess

tion gap

teaching, that is based on giving language learners

Open Day/Open Evening

Open House

complementary information that learners have to pool

Marking Scheme

Grading Scheme

together to fulfill the task.

Drawing pins

pushpins or

Compiled by Irina Shchukina,

thumbtacks

Headmaster/mistress

Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University,

with reference to TESOL Core Certificate Program

Headteacher

Principal

See printable chart on CD.

Caretaker/porter

Janitor