What are TEFL, TESL, and TESOL?
TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language
TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Essentially all three have the same meaning; teaching English to non-English speakers. All carry the same qualification weighting and are internationally recognised.
TESL used to be more commonly know in North America, but is now recognised worldwide. It;s used to refer to teaching English in a native English speaking country. Immigrants to the USA and Canada often do not speak English when they first arrive; therefore when they learn English it becomes their second language.
TEFL is more commonly known in Europe and refers to teaching English abroad. Europeans learning English tend to do so to be skilled in a foreign language, not because they want to live in an English speaking country.
TESOL is a more recent and general term that incorporates both TESL and TEFL.