ESL vs EFL what’s the difference

English as the second language or ESL, as the term speaks for itself, it is combination of methods, lesson plans and courses to teach students English language in native English speaking countries such as USA, Britain, Australia and etc. EFL or English as a foreign language, is methods, lessons and courses for students learning English either in their original country or in a non native English speaking countries. Do you feel confused? read the story below to learn more about ESL vs EFL

Li’s story of ESL and EFL experience

Here is Li aka Bruce. He came to US for starting his acting career in Hollywood but language barriers hold him back. Thus, he enrolled for English classes. He is considered as an ESL student. He learnt enough to start acting in a movie. Now it’s done and time to return back to China.
After watching his dad speaking English very well on TV, Li’s child became enthusiastic about learning a new language so Li took him to a language center in Beijing. Li’s child is considered an EFL student.

Why is the difference matter?

Having the above story in mind, we see country in which students learn is the only difference of ESL and EFL term. This is due to importance of students surrounding such as culture, environment in which a language is spoken, after class activities and etc. These factors play huge role on their learning and language development

However many students are learning English as third or forth language so the terms are disputed. Also in different countries and websites on the web,these terms have been used interchangeably (including the content of eslarchive.com) for a less confusing content and description.