English as a Second Language (ESL)

Given the complexity of the challenge facing students from immigrant background in acquiring both the language of instruction and the academic subject content required by the curriculum, the term English as a Second Language (ESL) is used in opposition to the recent appearance of the term, English as an Additional Language (EAL). 
The curricular and school-centred linguistic demands of acquiring English as the language of instruction are both so enormous and unrelenting that many language support teachers and coordinators consulted consider that the use of the word ‘Additional’, with its notional undertones of choice, fails to capture the complexity of the process.

Some terminology:

ESL - normally used when referring to the teaching of English, in an English- speaking country, to people whose native language is one other than English.
• EFL commonly used when referring to the teaching of English, in a non-English-speaking country, to people whose native language is one other than English.
• ESOL is the acronym for English to/for Speakers of Other Languages. Some prefer this term to the traditional ESL and EFL, as it takes into consideration that some learners may already speak a second language, i.e., they may be working on their third, fourth or fifth language.
• EAL – English as an additional language is the preferred term for ESL in the UK. It is also the term which is used by DES and the NCCA.