This document defines common terms and acronyms used in the field of bilingual education and second language acquisition. It provides definitions for over 30 acronyms related to topics such as American Sign Language, bilingual education, English language learning, intelligence testing, language acquisition theories, language proficiency assessments, teaching methodologies, and more. The acronyms cover concepts fundamental to understanding research and practice in second language teaching.

1. Dr. Comfort Pratt
Associate Professor
Bilingual Education and Secondary Education
College of Education, Texas Tech University

2. Term – Word or expression that is
peculiar to a field
Acronym – Word formed from the
initial letters of other words

3.  ASL – American Sign Language
 BFLA – Bilingual First Language Acquisition
 BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication
Skills.
 CAH – Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis
 CALL – Computer –Assisted Language
Learning
 CALP - Cognitive Academic Language
Proficiency

4.  CLAD - Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse
 CLT – Communicative Language
Teaching
 CPH – Critical Period Hypothesis
 EL - English Learner
 ELL - English Language Learner
 ELT – English Language Teaching
 ELD - English Language Development

5.  ESL - English as a Second Language
 ESP – English for Specific Purposes
 EFL - English as a Foreign Language
 FLA – First Language Acquisition
 IQ – Intelligence Quotient
 L1 - First Language, Native Language, Mother
Tongue
 L2 - Second Language, Foreign Language
 LEP - Limited English Proficient
 NS - Native Speaker
 NNS - Non-Native Speaker

6.  SLA - Second Language Acquisition
 SLL - Second Language Learner
 TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign
Language
 TESL – Teaching English as a Second
Language
 TESOL – Teaching English to Students of
Other Languages
 TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign
Language

7.  TPR – Total Physical Response
 UG – Universal Grammar
 ZPD – Zone of Proximal Development