Is there a difference between "English as a second language" or "English as a foreign language"?

               As the rapid advance of technology brings countries of the world closer together, so the need arises for a common medium of communication;not only to improve human understanding ,but also to strengthen international relations.One could argue that English is considered the language which seems to be spreading as a global language.Because of its adoption as an international language,so in the world today ,English has become the language which is spoken world-widely by more than a billion of people.

            However, this increase is not principally among native speakers,but among those who use English as a Foreign- language or as a Second- language. A distinction is often made between the learning & teaching of English as either a Foreign or a Second- language.This distinction is justified by the fact that it is principally based on some specific criteria such as difference in" settings" of language learning . as well as the difference in the" out- come" achieved from the learning process.

        English is learned as a foreign language  when it is used in a context where it is not the mother -tongue of the members of the the community. It is just a language that is used for educational purposes & functions.In this setting, English is used as a discipline of study. a cultural object of study.

English is considered as a Second language when it is used in settings where it is normally the mother-tongue of the members of the community for historical ,social  or political purposes or reasons.It is the language which is adopted to serve as a language of daily communication & interaction. While in  a foreign language setting English is used in certain spheres & domains which necessitates the use of  a"formal language", in the second language setting  or context there is an opportunity  for using an "informal" type of language to serve functions of communication & interaction.

  Additionally,  other difference is obtained from the "out-come" of the learning process.While in the foreign language setting the out-come is determined by the functions behind using the language in specific domains,in the second language context , the out-come is linked to the use English as a medium of communication.So, while the out-come a achieved in the foreign language setting is "Bilingual proficiency", in the second language context is therefore; normally " communicative competence"

 

 

I agree with experts answer. Thanks for the invitation. 

As a foreign language is when it is not the first or the native language of a country. As a second language is when it is the second most used language in a country.