University of M’sila Department of English

Master One Classes TEFL Courses / lecturer: Berkani

LESSON ONE : TEFL : SCOPE AND KEY TERMS

English as a Global Language .1

For the past several decades, English has grown into the primary language for
international communication. As a result of complex economic, cultural, and
technological forces, such as the growth of international trade and the Internet, the
English language is now used worldwide, with a geographic spread unique among all
world languages.

English has become a “lingua franca,” or common language, in many regions throughout the world.
In the European Union, for example, English is recognized as common working language and a
language of contact, and is similarly used as such in many areas in Southeast Asia. As a result, the
vast majority of those using English worldwide are themselves nonnative speakers. This has had a
profound effect on both the ways English language teaching (ELT) is practiced and the language
itself.

The English language has developed into multiple varieties throughout the world, known
as “world Englishes.” These include the standard Englishes spoken in Anglophone countries such as
the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well
local varieties in regions of the world such as India, Africa, and the Caribbean. The concept of
world Englishes itself is rooted in the social and functional realities of language users in a particular
context. Such versatility of the language also allows nonnative speakers to use their own local
words and expressions in their discourse, thus combining communication and culture within these
world Englishes.

Given the broad geographic spread of English, and the variety of world Englishes being
spoken globally, English is seen less and less as a “foreign” language, and more as an
additional language. In other words, learning English is no longer viewed as something
optional, but essential. English has become the most widely taught language in the world,
and numerous countries have instituted English as a required subject for all students,
often starting at very young ages. With English being taught globally for very diverse
purposes, a singular or monolithic approach to the modeling of English is no longer
tenable.

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2. Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Teaching English to non-native speakers is a challenging experience for teachers. TEFL refers
to teaching English in formal contexts and English in that case represents a foreign language for
learners. Stern defines language teaching as the activities which are intended to bring about
language learning (1983: 21). In other words, language teaching is more than instructing a class, it
is a process which involves different activities, and it is the responsibility of the teacher to discover
when and how to engage learners in the classroom environment. EFL teachers are interested in
providing their learners with the knowledge needed to be competent to a certain extent in the target
language. According to Canale and Swain (1980, 1981); to be competent is in terms of three
dimensions. In other words, they have defined communicative competence as having knowledge of
grammatical rules and vocabulary and they named that component the linguistic or grammatical
competence. The second competence which is the sociolinguistic one, is concerned with knowledge
of socio-cultural rules of the language in order to know how to use the language being taught in an
appropriate way. Whereas the third is the strategic competence which is the ability to use certain
strategies to compensate for breakdowns in communication. Developing communicatively
competent learners is the goal that most EFL teachers wish to accomplish, but of course
communicative competence is not sufficient. Learners need other dimensions to succeed, to be
accurate and fluent and to achieve that, teachers are supposed to set a number of plans which should
be designed with taking into consideration different goals and of course their learners levels and
needs. Richards et al (2002), demonstrate that the last three decades witnessed the development of
the field of TEFL, which aims at improving the quality of teaching, as well as of learning by
focusing on learners' needs, their motivation, the strategies they use to learn and the processes they
go through in learning, without neglecting the roles of teachers as course developers, the methods
they use to transfer knowledge, and the materials they use to promote understanding. When teachers
become aware of those dimensions, they can easily cope with the problems they face in their
teaching career, and can find ways to help their learners cope with their learning problems in order
to achieve their educational goals and tasks. Teachers of English as a foreign language are the
knowledge providers for learners, they are the ones who are able to make diagnosis for the
psychological elements which intervene in the process of learning; when they understand the factors
affecting learners' performance they can easily make a change. Teachers are the feedback givers for
their learners; when giving them feedback of satisfaction vis-à-vis their performance, learners feel
that they are praised. This may encourage them to work and participate in a variety of educational
activities. Good English teachers are those who engage their learners in different classroom contexts
and different authentic experiences which are related to real life situations. They are those who
make their learners feel that they are decision makers instead of being just knowledge receivers.

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Listing the roles of teachers will never finish, that is why there are many researchers of the field
who every day present case studies and provide new techniques and ways to improve teaching,
because teaching is a profession which is flexible and teachers are supposed to vary in the methods
used ,the tool,etc.

3.Difficulties in Learning English as a Foreign Language

Learning is a journey which cannot be completed in a short period of time; it is a lifelong
process i.e. the more people learn the better they achieve personal, intellectual and professional
growth, and gain social respect. When learning a language, most people wonder to guess the period
that they need to become proficient, but the answer is unknown because it depends on different
factors which should be investigated in order to improve the quality of learning. As any other
branch of study, learning languages requires efforts and concentration, especially foreign languages,
because in that case the learner is exposed to other elements in addition to grammar and vocabulary,
the exposure is also in terms of culture. For that reason, learners face problems and difficulties, and
it is the responsibility of instructors to help their learners find ways to solve learning problems or at
least minimize them. Research findings indicate that learning a foreign language is not an easy task
for learners who find themselves exposed to other components not only linguistic ones. Being
exposed to a foreign language with its cultural aspects will certainly lead to learning difficulties
which are considered as normal because they are part of the learning process. Learners differ in
their potential and abilities that is why they differ when it comes to difficulties; some of them reach
fluency as well as literacy and seem to learn with a certain ease within a few years, while others
encounter problems; so the degree of difficulty differs from one learner to another depending on
different variations. Research also shows that learning a foreign language entails a number of
difficulties, all of which can be reduced through teachers' attempts. For example grammar can be
difficult for learners in the sense that it is different from that of the native language. In addition to
difficulties in the spelling system, some may find difficulty in memorizing vocabulary words
whereas others who may be influenced by their native accents experience problems in
pronunciation; an example of that is the distinction between the English R and L for the Japanese
learners. In the process of learning, errors are seen as a process of normal behaviour and they lead
to progress. However, some learners feel embarrassed or negatively judged and their affective state
can inhibit their ability to grasp knowledge and participate i.e. this represent an obstacle for them.
Those are some examples; mentioning the difficulties that learners of English as a foreign language
face will never come to an end, because learners are individuals with different personalities and
they differ also in their level; so what can be difficult for one may not be for another. Therefore, it is
the responsibility of teachers to discover those features which affect the learning process.
Regardless of the degree of difficulty, any learner can benefit from solutions which are created by

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teachers through developing their classroom practices. Being aware of those difficulties is the first
step which drives the teacher to find solutions and ways to reduce them so that their learners
achieve their educational tasks, reach their goals and improve their future learning performances. It
can be very difficult for some learners to master the language they are learning. However, knowing
how to cope with those difficulties provides many benefits, not only to fulfill their educational tasks
but they also need the language to build a better professional career and have an opportunity to deal
with people from other cultures with ease.

TEFL Educators' Work.4

TEFL educators are in high demand in many overseas settings as: Private language schools,
Universities, Private businesses, Government-sponsored programs, Charity organizations (e.g.,
Peace Corps) , Religious organizations ,Private tutoring…

The work of TEFL educators varies significantly based on the needs of the people they serve.
For example, college students may seek the assistance of TEFL educators to help them prepare for
university examinations, while international businesses may call in TEFL teachers to help their
employees improve their conversational English.

5. TEFL Requirements

TEFL requirements vary from one country and one employer to the next; therefore, TEFL
instructors should always check with the department of ministry in the country where they desire to
teach.

Bilingual educators and/or those who possess master’s degrees in another language or in teaching
English as a second/foreign language are always in demand. Individuals without these post-
secondary credentials may choose to complete a TEFL or TESOL certification program through an
accredited organization. However, not all certification programs are recognized internationally, and
there is no single accrediting agency or recognized body for TEFL certification.

TEFL certification courses may be completed online, over the course of a weekend, or on a part-
time basis, and many programs are offered through regionally accredited colleges and universities.

Many overseas jobs in TEFL require candidates to possess a degree in education, although it is also
common for professionals in areas such as business, math, or science to teach TEFL in
business/industry settings. In addition to demonstrating native fluency in English, candidates may
be required to show proof of a post-secondary education or specific training and/or experience in
TEFL.

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6.Related Terms and Definitions : The term TEFL is associated with teaching theory,qualification
, and careers.

6.1.Definitions

 Applied Linguistics: It is the most general of all the terms to be discussed. It is a general
concept that covers many aspects of language acquisition and use. It is an amorphous and
heterogeneous field drawing on and interfacing with a range of other academic disciplines
including: Linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, cognitive science and
information technology.
 Didactics : It can be said that didactics may be defined in two ways, as the art of teaching

or as the discipline about teaching. In the first sense, the art, it is being expected that
didactics explains the process as the “practical cognitive quality, the inner skill to produce
specific tasks” (Gutiérrez, 2001:14). This is, the ability teachers show to communicate

knowledge to others, to make easier for students to understand the content they are learning.
In the second sense, didactics as the science refers to “clear, ordered and supported concept

in theory” (Gutiérrez, 2001:15). Therefore, according to Gutiérrez (2001:15), didactics is

the “science which studies the teaching – learning phenomena as prescriptive aspects of an
efficient methodology.” That is to say, this discipline deals with the formal aspects of
teaching, methodology and all elements that interact within the classroom.

 Education. It is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge , skills ,

values, beliefs, and habits. It is defined as a process of inviting truth and possibility, of
encouraging and giving time to discovery. It is, as John Dewey (1916) put it, a social process – ‘a
process of living and not a preparation for future living’. In this view educators look to act with
people rather on them. Their task is to educe (related to the Greek notion of educere), to bring
out or develop potential.

 Learning :" Learning is the comprehensive activity in which we come to know ourselves
and the world around us. It is a paradoxical activity: it is doing and submitting at the same
time. Its achievements range from merely being aware to what may be called understanding
and being able to explain." (Oakeshott,M.p.108)

 Teaching : In education, teaching is the concerted sharing of knowledge and experience,

which is usually organized within a discipline and, more generally, the provision of stimulus
to the psychological and intellectual growth of a person by another person or artifact.
Teaching is an activity aimed at bringing about meaningful learning through a method that is
morally and pedagogically acceptable. It involves a teacher, a learner, content in form of
knowledge facts information and skill to be imparted a deliberate intention on the part of the
learners to learn, and finally a method that respects the learners’ cognitive integrity and
freedom of choice.

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  Pedagogy: Pedagogy is an encompassing term concerned with what a teacher does to
influence learning in others.
... the instructional techniques and strategies that allow learning to take place. It refers to
the interactive process between teacher/practitioner and learner and it is also applied to
include the provision of some aspects of the learning environment (including the concrete
learning environment, and the actions of the family and community)
(Siraj-Blatchford, Sylva, Muttock, Gilden & Bell, 2002, p.10).

6.2. Acronyms

 EAL: English as an Additional Language

 EAP: English for Academic Purposes
 EFL : English as a Foreign Language
 ELT: English Language Teaching
 EMT: English as a Mother Tongue
 ESL: English as a Second Language.
 ESOL: English for Speakers of other Languages.
 ESP: English for Specific Purposes
 EST: English for Science and Technology
 EWL: English as a World Language
 CALL: Computer-Assisted Language Learning
 CLT: Communicative Language Teaching
 TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL)
 TESOL: Teaching English as a Second Language.

6.2.1.Some of TEFL Qualifications

 CELTA: Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults Accredited by Cambridge

University
 CELTYL: Certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners. Accredited by Cambridge
University
 DELTA: Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults Accredited by Cambridge
University

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**Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater (Gail Godwin)**