There is a difference between learning English as a Second Language (ESL) and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The former is learning the language while you are in an English speaking country (the US in my case) while the latter means that you study it while you are in your home country or any other country whose national language is not English.
The difference between ESL and EFL when it comes to the methods of teaching and learning are very different. Because in ESL classes there are people from different parts of the world, the teacher usually doesn’t speak their native languages and uses only English in class. In addition, classes are rarely in the form of a formal lecture. Usually students are very engaged in the learning process because they live in an English Speaking country and come with new questions every time. It could be something from their work or everyday life that they’ve heard but didn’t understand. The teacher explains it by using other, more simple words that the students already know. The focus in ESL classes is on communication. People learn vocabulary and grammar in context.
In EFL on the other hand, all or most people in the class, including the teacher, share the same native language. And because the teacher and students speak the same language, explanations about vocabulary and grammar are often in that other language as opposed to English. In addition, in EFL classes the focus is on grammar exercises and translating vocabulary back and forth between English and the students’ native language. People who have studied English as a foreign language can often recite the smallest detail from the grammar textbooks, but they have difficulty speaking because EFL classes focus on passing exams rather than communication.
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My personal experience
Below I share with you how my own experience about how I went from the worst student in EFL to the best one in ESL.
EFL in Bulgaria
I started studying English in school back in my native Bulgaria. English was a mandatory subject in our school curriculum, so I didn’t have a choice but to attend the classes. Mind you, I knew that knowing English is a door to the world and I really wanted to be able to speak it, but I just couldn’t force myself to open the textbook and drill the grammar and vocabulary exercises. So after years of such classes, I can honestly admit that I knew close to nothing. I was one of the worst students (maybe even the worst) in my class.
ESL in the US
When I first arrived in the US, I could say separate words, but I had a hard time putting them together into a sentence. When I enrolled in ESL classes, I was eager to learn. The reason for my newfound desire for learning English was because now I was in an English speaking country and I really needed it. I love talking and connecting with people and having classmates who didn’t speak my language was a great incentive to keep going. I also had plans for the future. My goal was to learn English well, go to college and study something interesting (I had no idea at the time that I’d choose Journalism), find a good job, and build a fulfilling life in the US.
So I started going to class every day and watching American TV (this was before Netflix and social media) when I went back home. I was absorbing new phrases, grammar, intonation, and body language from movies, TV series, and even ads. The next day in school I was putting everything I’d learned into practice. It wasn’t long after when I realized that I’d become a complete opposite to what I was back in Bulgaria. I had become the best student. And I was loving my new self.
Six things I DID NOT do when I was learning English
There were many steps that I took on my road to fluency, but what had helped me the most were several things that I actually DID NOT do.
1. 🚫 Look up words in the dictionary
When I heard a new word, I never searched for its meaning in the dictionary. Back then Google wasn’t so developed and there were no online dictionaries, so if I wanted to look up a word, I had to use a traditional dictionary. The problem was that it took time to go through the pages and I tend to be very impatient. Traditional dictionaries were also bulky and heavy and I didn’t want to carry one around.
So every time I heard new words (it happened all the time), I asked my teacher for its meaning. If I wasn’t at school, I tried to guess their meaning from context. Although sometimes I was wrong, most of the time I was spot on. The key is to listen attentively. I didn’t just focus on the words; I paid attention to what the topic was about, what intonation and body language the speaker was using, and the mood and tone of voice overall. This helped me almost immediately understand words I had never heard before. It worked like magic.
2. 🚫 Learn individual words (instead I learned them in phrases)
Even from the very beginning, I tried to learn whole phrases as opposed to individual words. This way not only did I memorize words better because they were in context, but I also learned how to pronounce them better because of how they were connected within the phrase. When it comes to pronunciation, the environment of a certain sound is crucial because it depends on what other phonemes are surrounding it. Learning a whole phrase also helps with connected speech – the way native speakers are linking words together. This immediately made me sound more natural and fluent.
3. 🚫 Drill grammar with no context
I see many English learners dread the infamous conditionals in English. The truth is that I never learned them as “conditionals.” I didn’t know what “conditional 0” or “conditional 2” was. To be honest, I think this is a hideous way to learn a language. The way I learned conditionals and grammar overall was by asking questions if I was stuck when I wanted to express a certain idea. I also learned a lot of grammar by watching movies because in films you can see all kinds of situations.
So I was never afraid of any of the “would’ve beens,” “should’ve takens,” and “could’ve dones” that give many learners such a hard time. The problem is that many students try to memorize grammar without having an idea of what they want to express. I did it the other way around; I knew what I wanted to say and then tried to figure out how to say it.
4. 🚫 Worry about passing a test
I didn’t care about test scores. Because ESL classes focus on communication, students are not worried about passing or failing tests. While back in Bulgaria my only goal was to have a good enough grade to pass the class, in the US I really wanted to learn the language. I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes because the ESL school I went to didn’t grade the students. The tests we were sometimes given were for us to see how much we have learned and what we needed to focus on going forward. Eliminating fear is a crucial step toward becoming fluent.
The problem with regular EFL classes is that students are punished for mistakes by getting bad grades. As a result, most of them are afraid to speak. But learning a language shouldn’t feel like you are being arrested and read your Miranda Rights (the ones where anything you say can and will be used against you). Learners should be encouraged to speak, even with lots of mistakes.
5. 🚫 Put subtitles on when I watched movies
I personally find it hard to listen and read at the same time, so I never used subtitles as a form of learning. I always focused on listening and understanding words in context. This way I practiced my listening skills as well. I know some people who rely on subtitles so much that they have a hard time understanding spoken words if they don’t see them in written form.
For some people, however, using subtitles works really well. They are able to focus on both reading and listening and they claim that they learn faster that way. Every person is different, so choose what works best for you. But my advice still is not to become too dependent on subtitles.
6. 🚫 Try to find a rule for everything
Knowing grammar rules is great, but every tongue has its irregularities. After all, this is a language, not math. I realized this very quickly and stopped trying to understand every little detail. As my ESL teacher used to say, some things you just need to “shut up and memorize.” These were her words, not mine, but I totally agree. The truth is that the more I communicated with others, the more I started feeling the language.
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This is what has worked for me, but remember that everyone is different. Don’t be afraid to try different things when you are learning a foreign language. If something doesn’t work, don’t get frustrated, just try another method. After all, we humans are social beings and are genetically predisposed to learn how to communicate with others. Just enjoy the ride and don’t let mistakes discourage you.
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Use the comment section to share with me something that has helped you in your journey to English fluency.
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