Module 1: The World of English Learning (September 09 to September 15, 2020)

In Module 1 of the PPP, we had three articles on different topics to begin our journey into the exciting world of TESOL with an exciting overview of "The World of English Learning".

1) The Alphabet Soup of Teaching English: TESOL related acronyms and terminology chart.

2) What is English?: the diversity within the English language and the many contexts in which it is used.
3) Potential Harms in the Spread of English: an honest look at the threat that English may pose to cultures, societies, and even educational systems.
We can download all these articles when the scheduled time arrives. To obtain the Grade in this Module 1, we have to do two activities within this week. (a) Module 1 Quiz: Multiple Choice questions from those three articles. (Optional but recommended to attempt), (b) Discussion Forum: After reading the articles given there, we can choose any one of them and write the summary of that article and reflection on it within 250 words. Then, we can give at least one comment on other participant's post in the Discussion Forum. This is the assignment of module 1, from which we can obtain Grade for this Module. 

I chose the first article to post my reflection in the Discussion Forum

The Alphabet Soup of Teaching English

This article is about some commonly used acronyms related to English language. I have heard most of them previously. There are altogether 20 acronyms. Those twenty ingredients of alphabet soup are in a big bowl.

When I read the article thoroughly, I realized one thing which I have never perceived in the synopsized way. I found that we can classified those 20 acronyms into five groups: 1) other names of English language, 2) name of learner, 3) Teaching English, 4) Methodologies, 5) Testing.

1) Names of English Language: English language is addressed in different ways, such as a) English as a Second Language (ESL), b) English as a Foreign Language (EFL), c) English as an Additional Language (EAL), d) English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), e) English as a New Language (ENL), f) English as an International Language (EIL), (g) English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). In different countries as per the use of English language by the citizens there, this language can be called one of these. In my country, Nepal, English is not second language. My first language or primary language is my mother tongue, Tamang Language. The official language of my country is Nepali, so I had to learn it as second language at the age of six when I joined school. English might be my third or fourth language. In my neighboring country, India, English is another official language or dominant language, so English can be called second language for them. Once I was in Kazakhstan, there I used English language as ELF or EIL.

2) Name of learner: h) English Language Learner (ELL) or English Learner (EL)

3) Teaching English: i) Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), j) Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), k) Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), l) English Language Teaching (ELT), m) English for Academic Purpose (EAP), n) English for Specific Purpose (ESP). As per the use of English Language by the people of a country, the names of teaching English are different.

4) Methodologies: o) Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), p) Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), q) Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), r) Content-Based Instruction (CBI), s) Total Physical Response (TPR). These are some prominent teaching approaches or method of English Language in different countries.

5) Test: t) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a widely used testing system of English language.

After reading this article, I could generate these ideas as per the information provided there.