TEFL = teaching English (as a) foreign language. This what you do when teaching in China. 

TESOL = teaching English (as a) second (or) other language. I'm teaching TESOL to international students in Australia. In practice, though, the two terms are often used interchangeably.

What MissA said... but to get it, they are 2 acronyms that basically mean the same thing

Although, TEFL would technically be when English isn't likely to be used too much - hence why she said here in China (hence, the 'foreign' language part of it). Australia teaches quite a few languages at school and university, and they would be considered 'foreign' languages, not to 'speakers of other languages'.

TESOL is just speakers of other languages - such as migrants who emigrate to a native English speaking country, or actually use their English to communicate say for business..

Idiots will try to tell you the certifications are different - they're not (for the most part - Australia has some regulations on who can teach to whom - probably because it is easier to teach to people who a) want to learn, and b) are in a good environment for using and improving the language. (I applied for a job last year, and there was a question about which I had - TESOL or TEFL... I asked the American about this bit of stupid, and she said in the 2 years she'd had the job of interviewing, I was the only one to point out the meaning is the same!!!)

OP - the difference isn't in those letters, it's in the letters of where you got it from - school etc... the letters CELTA are the most coveted around the world (not necessarily the best, just the most recognised!)

Are you doing this as a career move, or just earn some cash while you travel? And, if you're travelling, where to???

You know I was asking myself this same question several weeks ago. I was planning on taking a TEFL course, but, as it panned out I ended up not taking the 70% discount that they were offering. The reason being was because I had already earned my Tesol certificates nearly half a decade ago, and while I was researching the differences I found that there basically wasn't too much that I could find. It was just that in some parts of the world it is more common to take up TESOL rather than TEFL but they are pretty much the same thing. So if you decide to take TESOL now getting a TEFL certificate down the road wouldn't matter, except if you were looking for some type of refresher course and you just don't want to take up the same exact program again.  

To beat a dead horse:

TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The field is designed to teach the language to students living in a non-anglophone country such as China, Japan, Korea, etc. (where English is not an official language).

TEFL = a reputable, international job search database for English language teachers. To access their website, just add dot com to the acronym.

TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. This acronym would generally apply to both ESL and EFL students.  (See below.)

TESOL = a professional association dedicated to "advancing excellence in English language teaching". Membership to the association will enhance your C.V.  Yearly job recruitment fairs around the world.  To access their website, just add dot org to the acronym.

EFL = English as a Foreign Language. Taught to students learning English in non-anglophone countries such as China, Russia, Brazil, etc. where English is indeed a foreign language.

ESL = English as a Second Language.  Taught to students learning English in an anglophone country such as the U.S., UK or Australia.  However, this abbreviation is often a misnomer as it assumes the student in question speaks only one language and therefore, the second language target is English.  Some "ESL" students speak two, three and often more languages when they enroll in an ESL program.

And so, we have ESOL = English to Speakers of Other Languages.  That should take care of the multilingual "ESL" students.

And "trending": ELL = English Language Learners.  Applied to anyone learning the language with the exception of native English language speakers (many of whom could probably use a little instruction in their native language since many can't spell, read or write or don't know the difference between a preposition and a conjunction, for example.)

Have your pick and have fun!

KKCC, 

Nice job!

Here's a bit of additional info:

  >> From the California teaching website:  

       "The I Teacher Training Program (BTTP) assists kindergarten through grade twelve teachers, who already possess a basic credential, to attain authorizations required by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to provide English Language Development (ELD), specially designed academic instruction in English (SDAIE), and primary language instructional services to English learners (ELs).

Besides noticing ELD and ELs, any aspiring teacher should note that CA requires credentialing BEFORE the extra bi-lingual certifications apply.  In CA, that means a college baccalaureate degree, then (usually) a year of grad school in education and a year as an intern while taking additional classes, then passing all the exams.  In other states, private programs, and many parts of the world, it's possible to teach English without a teacher's credential, or even a college degreee.  Here in China, if you are tutoring or teaching in a private program, you might be able to get away with that.  If you're working for a school receiving government funding, you'd better have some pieces of paper that attest to your education.  Most Asian countries put a lot of emphasis on those papers.  Do they mean you'll be good?  No.  Competent, at least?  No.  Have I seen TESOL courses which could be condensed into about 10-15 minutes?  YES!  All but one of the day-long seminars I've sat through could have been condensed into less than an hour if the presenters - all experienced teachers - made better, more efficient presentations.  Unfortunately, the Continuing Education process doesn't encourage that.  What does that say about the state of the education profession?  Too much of what passes for teachers' education is really some schmuck throwing jargon such as "multiple modalities" in order to impress the troglodytes who inhabit government teaching offices.

The SDAIE training mentioned in the CA quote is designed to help teachers of other subjects - math, history, chemistry, etc. - adapt their teaching to meet the needs of ELs (English Learners).  From my experience, that training is worthwhile.

TESOL and TEFL programs?  Be careful, be choosy.  Good luck finding a program where you'll learn enough to justify the cost!  You'll get the piece of paper bureaucrats love, but will you learn to be a good or competent teacher?

i got a tefl

Dont know much about TESOL, so I cant give expert adive about it.

TEFL on the other hand is a scam. Its not worth the paper its written on simply due to the fact it is not accredited.

One can fabricate a TEFL without any chance whatsoever of illegality or illegitamacy.

TEFL is a scam because the one offering it is useally charging exuberent amounts to get the certificate (based on per capita income of the country its being offered in). I dont think one can even get a TEFL in Europe, the USA, Canada, etc. Its a "3rd World" gig.

TEFL training/education in Thailand is a joke. Many "graduates" said they didnt learn a thing.

If you are causasian, a native speaker of English, and graduated High School, you are more than qualified to teach at a typical language school or even govt school in Asia, period. If you have a grad degree, all the better.

Get on TEFL fabricated. Dont waste your time and money on this "scam of asia".

Amongst legitimate educational institutions, TESOL is generally a qualification offered to teachers with existing teaching qualifications and experience, while TEFL is offered to those without existing teaching qualifications or experience.

Dubious educational providers will hand either out to anybody, as long as the money is paid. That doesn't mean you have magically become a skilled or competent teacher. It just means you have successfully become another cheater in China.