 ELT – English Language Teaching In countries where British-based English is taught and spoken, ELT is used as an umbrella term that covers all teaching situations that are defined under the acronyms TEFL and TESOL. This usage corresponds directly to the way TESOL is used in American-based English. As English Language Teaching, ELT is rather a generic term, it is not unusual to find it used in many other situations. For example, it is sometimes used by large companies to refer to their language training departments or by publishing companies to refer to their language division.