English as a Second Language

Gladys V. Scott

English as a second language (ESL) is a multifaceted term associated with several aspects in the area of English language teaching and learning. Broadly speaking, it refers to the use or study of English by speakers of other languages who are permanently or temporarily residing in English-dominant countries, such as Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, and the United States. In a narrow sense, it refers to the field of study in applied linguistics that brings together aspects from theoretical linguistics, language acquisition, and teacher education; it is a discipline with its own theories, methodologies, and approaches for teaching and learning. ESL is one of the possible ways to refer to the learning and teaching of English to native speakers of other languages. Due to the range of meanings subsumed under ESL, many other terms and acronyms have been coined over time, including English as a second or other language (ESOL), ...

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