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English language teaching (ELT) is a widely used teacher-centered term, as in the English language teaching divisions of large publishing houses, ELT training, etc. Teaching English as a second language (TESL), teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), and teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) are also used.
[70] [71] The idea of linguistic relativity, which claims that the language people speak influences the way they see the world, can be interpreted to mean that individuals who speak multiple languages have a broader, more diverse view of the world, even when speaking only one language at a time. [72]
English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the use of the English language "as a global means of inter-community communication" [1] [2] and can be understood as "any use of English among speakers of different first languages for whom English is the communicative medium of choice and often the only option".
In countries like the United States, where citizens speak many different languages and come from a variety of national and ethnic groups, there is a "folk linguistic" belief that the most prestigious dialect is the single standard dialect of English that all people should speak. [14]
TESL and TESOL include English-language programs conducted in English-speaking countries. These classes often serve populations who have immigrated, temporarily or permanently, or whose families speak another language at home. TESL is considered an outdated term, because students may speak more than one language before they study English. [4]
Also, when people learn a second language, the way they speak their first language changes in subtle ways. These changes can be with any aspect of language, from pronunciation and syntax to the gestures the learner makes and the language features they tend to notice. [ 16 ]
English is the official second language of Ireland, while Irish is the first. [110] While New Zealand is majority English-speaking, its two official languages are Māori [111] and New Zealand Sign Language. [112] The United Kingdom does not have an official language.
For example, the research team found that monolingual and bilingual 6-year-olds in their study had similar scores on English words that were associated with schooling. However, when the children were tested on English words that were associated with the home, the scores were significantly lower for the bilingual (English-Spanish) children.