Glossary

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language is no less a professional endeavour than are medicine or law, and as such has its own unique jargon. It is virtually impossible to be considered a professional EFL teacher without having mastered a good part of that special language. So as to assist our EFL teachers and interns to learn and understand this language, a glossary has been included with these pages. This glossary, set out by Cambridge University, has been endorsed as the minimal lexical knowledge needed by an aspirant to sit and pass the Cambridge University Teacher Knowledge Test or TKT.

In putting together these pages, Language Links Academic Managers believed it to be more useful for the glossary to be divided up by topics rather than to present the teacher with a long alphabetical listing. In so doing, it is believed that teachers will develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the lexical sets (see Lexis) contained within each section.

Obviously, in order to efficiently use this glossary, the teacher must first understand to which topic a word or expression belongs. Admittedly, this isn't always easy. That said, what better way for the new (or old) teacher to explore the pages contained within.

Topical areas: The following topics have been included within the glossary. For convenience only, these topics have been listed in alphabetical order. Explore, enjoy and learn.

• Assessment
  
  
• Background to language learning
  
  
• Classroom management
  
  
• Describing Language Skills
  
  
• Functions
  
  
• Grammar
  
  
• Lesson Planning
  
  
• Lexis
  
  
• Phonology
  
  
• Practice Activities & tasks
  
  
• Presentation Techniques, Approaches and Introductory Activities
  
  
• Reference resources
  
  
• Teachers' and learners' language