AAAL

American Association for Applied Linguistics (Web site)

ACET

Association of Children's English Teachers (Web site)

ACTFL

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (Web site)

ACTJ

Association of Canadian Teachers in Japan (Web site)

AET

Assistant English Teacher

ALT

Assistant Language Teacher (part of JET)

ALM

Audio-lingual Method (depends on mimicry, memorization of set phrases and repetitive drills; vocabulary is learned in context and there is extensive of audio tapes and visual aids; evolved from the Direct Method)

ARELS

Association of Recognised English Language Services. The representative body of private accredited English language schools in the UK. Formed in 1960, it is the longest-established ELT association in the world. (Web site)

BAAL

British Association for Applied Linguistics (Web site)

BALT

British Association for Language Teaching

BASELT

British Association of State English Language Teaching (Web site)

BC

British Council (Web site | BC Japan web site)

BULATS

Business Language Testing Service (provided by Cambridge ESOL Web site)

CALL

Computer Assisted Language Learning

CEELT

Cambridge Examination in English for Language Teachers (Web site)

CELTA

Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (was CTEFLA; Web site)

CIEE

Council on International Educational Exchange (Japan representative for the TOEFL; Web site)

CILT

Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (Web site)

CILTS

Cambridge Integrated Language Teaching Schemes (Web site)

CIR

Coordinator of International Relations (part of JET)

CLAIR

Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (part of JET; Web site)

CLT

Communicative Language Teaching

COTE

Certificate for Overseas Teachers of English (Web site)

CPE

Certificate of Proficiency in English (Web site)

CTEFLA

See CELTA

CUP

Cambridge University Press (CUP Japan web site)

CWAJ

College Women's Association of Japan (Web site)

DBE

Developmental Bilingual Education (similar to but more gradual than TBE, and continues development of the student's native language after English proficiency is achieved)

DEH

David English House

DELTA

Diploma in English Language Teaching for Adults (was DTEFLA) (Web site)

DM

Direct Method (instruction in the target language, teaching everyday vocabulary, and with an inductive approach to grammar; the first of the 'natural' methods)

DOS, DoS

Director of Studies

DOTE

Diploma for Overseas Teachers of English (Web site)

DTEFLA

See DELTA

EAL

English as an Additional Language

EAP

English for Academic Purposes

EAT

European Association of Teachers (Web site)

ECIS

European Council of International Schools (Web site)

EFL

English as a Foreign Language (mostly UK)

ELD

English Language Development

ELICOS

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (Australia; Web site)

ELT

English Language Training or English Language Teaching

EPP

English for Professional Purposes

ESID

Every Situation is Different (often used in the JET Program to describe the varying circumstances of its many participants)

ESL

English as a Second Language (mostly US)

ESOL

English for Speakers of Other Languages

ESP

English for Specific Purposes

EST

English for Science and Technology

ESUJ

English-Speaking Union of Japan (Web site)

ETJ

English Teachers in Japan (Web site)

GTM

Grammar Translation Method (label to describe the 'traditional' teaching methods used before communicative aproaches were developed toward the end of the 20th century; still very popular in Japan)

IALLT

International Association for Language Learning Technology (Web site)

IATEFL

International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (Web site)

IIEEC

Institute for International English Education of Children (Web site)

IELTS

International English Language Testing System (Web site)

IPA

International Phonetic Alphabet or International Phonetic Association (Web site)

JACET

Japan Association of College English Teachers (Web site)

JALA

Japan Anthropological Linguistic Association (Web site)

JALT

Japan Association for Language Teaching (Web site)

JASELE

Japan Society of English Language Education (Web site)

JET

Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program(me) (Government web site)

JETAA

JET Alumni Association (Web site)

JTE

Japanese Teacher of English

K-12

Kindergarten to 12th grade (based on the US school system)

KOTESOL

Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (Web site)

L1

First Language (the student's native language)

L2

Second Language (the language the student is learning; also referred to as Target Language)

LAD

Language Acquisition Device (universal, genetic ability to acquire language; idea developed by Noam Chomsky)

LATEM

Little America Teaching English Methods (Web site)

LCCIEB

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board (Web site)

LEP

Limited English Proficiency (usually used for children in a country other than their native-language environment)

LES

Limited English Speaker

LIOJ

Language Institute of Japan (Web site)

LLA

Language Laboratory Association of Japan (Web site)

MELTA

Malaysian English Language Teaching Association; Web site)

MLAT

Modern Language Aptitude Test (developed at Harvard University and published by the Psychological Corporation; Web site)

MLU

Mean Length of Utterance (Means of calculating the linguistic activity or proficiency of young children; in short, the number of words spoken divided by the number of times they speak)

NA

Natural Approach (stresses simplified conversation and visual or physical cues to make English input comprehensible)

NATESOL

Northern Association of Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (UK; Web site)

NCTE

National Council of Teachers of English (US; Web site)

NLP

Neurolinguistic Programming (based around the idea of the mind map, which helps the student to express in English their inner virtual world)

NNS

Non-native Speaker

NS

Native Speaker

ODA

Overseas Development Agency

OHP

Overhead projector

OUP

Oxford University Press (OUP Japan web site)

PGCE

Post Graduate Certificate in Education (for teaching in UK state sector; Web site)

PPP

Presentation, Practice, Production (Presenting new language; Practicing the language with controlled exercises; Producing the language with free exercises)

RP

Received Pronunciation (the accent of English which is considered a mark of an educated speaker; sometimes referred to as Standard English or BBC English)

RSA

The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (Web site)

SAIP

Special Alternative Instructional Program (a form of immersion education in which students are taught primarily through sheltered English techniques, with the native language used as little as possible; does not promote the development of bilingual skills)

SIG

Special Interest Group

SL

Second Language (in this case, English)

SLA

Second Language Acquisition

STEP

The Society for Testing of English Proficiency (test also known as Eiken; Web site)

STT

Student talking time

SW

Silent Way (a teaching approach where the teacher is as silent as possible and students 'discover' language for themselves)

TBE

Transitional Bilingual Education (teaching students in their native language and phasing in English instruction)

TEAL

Teaching of English as an Additional Language (Canada; Web site)

TEFL

Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (mostly UK; Web site)

TENAR

Teaching English for No Apparent Reason (one of several facetious expressions used to describe a learning situation where the purpose is, at best, vague; this includes language courses that apparently exist merely to allow students to meet university graduation requirements; common in Japan)

TENOP

Teaching English for No Obvious Purpose (see TENAR)

TENOR

Teaching English for No Obvious Reason (see TENAR)

TESL

Teaching of English as a Second Language (mostly US)

TESOL

Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (Web site)

TL

Target Language

TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Language (commonly used to gauge English ability for university entrance; Web site)

TOEIC

Test of English for International Communication (commonly used in Japan to test proficiency in English for business purposes; a minimum TOEIC score is increasingly being used as a job requirement; Web site)

TPR

Total Physical Response (ususally used with children to get them to respond physically to learned language)

TSE

Test of Spoken English

TT

Team Teaching

TTT

Teacher Talking Time (for giving motivation, instructions and exposure to the new language)

TWE

Test of Written English

UCLES

University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (Web site)

UG

Universal Grammar

USIA

United States Information Agency (Web site)

VSO

Voluntary Service Overseas (UK web site; Canada web site)

beikoku

The USA (Amerika is usually used)

bohru pen

ballpoint pen

bunpoh

grammar

bunshoh

sentence

chuu-gakkoh

junior high school, middle school

daigaku

university

daigakuin

(post) graduate school

dohshi

verb

dohmeishi

gerund

eigo

English

eiken

English proficiency test administered by STEP

eikaiwa

English conversation

eikoku

the UK (Igirisu is usually used)

enpitsu

pencil

fukushi

adverb

fukusuu (meishi)

plural (noun)

gakkoh

school

gasshuku

study camp

genzai (kei)

present (tense)

hokenshitsu

(school) infirmary

igirisu

the UK

jisho

dictionary

kako (kei)

past (tense)

keiyaku

contract

keiyohshi

adjective

kesseki

absence

keshi gomu

eraser

kimatsu shiken

end-of-term test

kohkoh

(senior) high school

kohchoh sensei

school principal

kokuban

blackboard

kotae

answer

kyouiku

education

kyoukasho

textbook

kyoushitsu

classroom

kyuuryoh

salary, pay

jugyoh

lesson

meishi

noun

mirai (kei)

future (tense)

mombu-kagakushoh

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (was Mombushoh)

mombushoh

Ministry of Education (see Mombu-kagakushoh)

mondai

problem, question

nenmatsu shiken

end-of-year test

nyuugaku shiken

entrance examination

rirekisho

resume, curriculum vitae (CV)

seiseki

exam grades, results

seito

student

seki

seat

senmon-gakkoh

special (professional) school, technical school

sensei

teacher, Mr./Ms....

shiken

test, exam

shin-eiken

New Association of English Teachers

shitsumon

question

shoh-gakkoh

elementary school, primary school

shusseki (wo toru)

(check the) attendance/roll

shussekibo

attendance/roll book

sohgohtekina gakushuu no jikan

"period for integrated study," often used for English classes in elementary schools

tango

word

tanki-daigaku

junior college (2-year)

tansuu (meishi)

singular (noun)

tsukue

desk

tsuzuri

spelling

yohchien

kindergarten