People have been learning English for over 1000 years now and English has been adding Latin, Spanish, and French words for a long time, so in a way we have been sort of picking up the language little by little... If we think about it we didn't have proper English teaching until the late 1800's (Remember Berlitz?) and it wasn't until the 1960's that language teacher training became a priority.
Moreover, only 10% of the world's population lives in English speaking countries, for the other 90% English is a foreign language. So teachers who teach English to native speakers do not have to bother explaining the verb to be, however explanation is a must for teachers of English as a Foreign Language. In addition, students who do not have English as their first language need to be expose to English inside the classrooms and thanks to technology nowadays it is the teacher's obligation to help his pupils to continue being exposed to English after classes (flipped classroom, mobile learning, blended learning).
So to keep it clear, EFL students is the term of choice for students who were not born or do not live in an English speaking country. EFL students are the ones who learn English as a foreign language in their hometown and make a fairly homogeneous class because they are probably from the same country and culture.
EFL students need more oral practice because once the class is over they will go back to use their native language (Not English). EFL students need to be motivated to learn the language so international mindedness is a must. Only by doing that, students will become more aware of the importance of using English to connect with other cultures and start the process of becoming a world citizen.
ESL students are not native speakers who usually live in countries such as the USA, Canada, England, Scotland, etc. Thus, it would be common to see students from a variety of backgrounds and cultural heritages looking for a better living attending these type of classes. As the world is becoming more interconnected everyday, many international students are looking for an ESL education and they are settling down in English speaking countries in order to learn their target language faster.
ESL students need hands-on English lessons, they need more projects and research because they are usually more motivated to master this language, and sometimes because they will soon experience interviews, negotiations, traveling or citizenship tests. I believe Bilingual education plays a key role into ESL (But that's another blog entry!).
In conclusion, if you are a student and you are learning English, it is always a great idea to decide what the appropiate type of learning you would like to follow but remember if you really want it it does not matter the type, of the teacher, you are in control of your progress. If you are a teacher on the other hand, I am thinking now you know which type of English you should be putting into practice, so go ahead and find out some effective strategies for improving your teaching style and offering a better education because your students need it. As Jeremy Harmer once told me, never lose your curiosity because that's the best quality any teacher has in order to keep trying new things so start looking for fun interactive ESL/ EFL activities for your next lesson!
Siorella Gonzales
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/
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