TEFL, TESOL, TESL, ELT...
There are a million acronyms related to the field of teaching English to non-English learners. It is very difficult for newcomers to the English Language Teaching world to know what they mean, so here are some explanations.
The Acronyms
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
ELT (English Language Teaching)
TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
TEFL and TESOL
A lot of confusion exists around the difference between TEFL and TESOL.
There is no difference between the two. Both refer to teaching English to non-native speakers. This is usually in their own countries, but this could also entail teaching English to foreigners in English speaking countries. The latter is mostly referred to as ESOL. As a TEFL teacher you can teach in private language schools, public schools, as a private tutor or as a college instructor, for example.
TESOL is also used to refer to an American association: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, the UK equivalent is IATEFL, the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.