TEFL Glossary

See Task-Based Language Learning.

A lesson or stage of a lesson where learners' attention is focused on the teacher is teacher-centred. If a lesson is teacher-centred, it means that the teacher is the person who is doing most or all of the speaking. As language is learned most effectively by using it; teachers of foreign languages should try to make their lessons as student-centred as possible. There are, however, some points of lessons where it is appropriate for the focus to be on the teacher, such as giving instructions or presenting new language.

See main stress.

See Content and Language Integrated Learning

Test of English as a Foreign Language - most widely used in the USA. See IELTS.

The test can be taken in the traditional way (paper based test), or online (internet based test), so you will sometimes see 'TOEFL pbt' and 'TOEFL ibt' to distingusih the way the exam was undertaken.

Top-down processing in reading or listening is using our existing general knowledge to help us make sense of a written text. See also bottom-up.

TPR is a language teaching method developed by Asher in the 1970s. Itis intended only for the early stages of second language learning. Students are taught through imperatives which they must obey: stand up, walk to the window, touch your nose, and so on.

See Total Physical Response.

In language teaching, transcription usually means phonetic transcription - the visual representation of the sounds of a spoken language. /'dɪfɪkəlt/ is the transcription of the word difficult. The verb is transcribe.

A transcript usually refers to a written version of a spoken text. EFL coursebooks often provide transcripts of the recorded materials used in listening lessons.

Transitive verbs are verbs which need to be followed by an object, e.g., see someone/something.

Intransitive verbs do not take an object. Examples: The sun rose. The plane took off.

Some verbs have both a transitive and an intransitive use, for example: 

I see. Intransitive

I saw the the dog. Transitive