The Internet TESL Journal
For Teachers of English as a Second Language

Vol. XIV, No. 10, October 2008

Teaching Techniques

• Using Journals for Learners' Reflection and Self-Assessment
  By Claudia Marcela Arciniegas Trejos
• Using Discusion Forums for ESL Communication Skills
  By Aileen Ng
• Motivation and Learner Autonomy: Activities to Encourage Independant Study
  Andrew G. P. Nowlan
• Integrating Grammar for Communicative Language Teaching
  By Bayram Pekoz

Lessons

• Teaching Character Words by Using Zodiac Signs
  By Mei-hsiu Lai

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Commonly-used Acronyms

• CALL = Computer Assisted Language Learning
• EFL = English as a Foreign Language (Studying English in non-English-speaking countries)
• ELT = English Language Teaching (or sometimes Training)
• ESL = English as a Second Language (Studying English as a non-native speaker in a country where English is spoken. Depending on where you are from, the term ESL may be more inclusive and includes EFL. For some people the reverse seems to be true.)
• ESOL = English to Speakers of Other Languages (Note: ESL and EFL are often used interchangeably. This acronym is an attempt to make a generic term and then assign more limited meanings to ESL and EFL.)
• L1 = "Language 1" = the student's native (primary or first acquired) language.
• L2 = "Language 2" = the language being learned or studied
• TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language
• TESL = Teaching English as a Second Language
• TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (It is also the name of an association, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.)
• TOEFL = Test of English as a Foreign Language
• TOEIC = Test of English for International Communication