With the new title it hopes to raise its profile and prevent confusion with the academic field of TESOL, which has informally adopted the name from the association over time.

“We have been moving in the direction of a name change for a number of years,” said Christine Coombe, President of the TESOL Board of Directors. “This is really the right time for TESOL, and the association’s new tag line, ‘Advancing Excellence in English Language Teaching,’ really captures who we are.”

Founded in the US in 1966, TESOL has helped shape the field of English language teaching and learning through its exchange, research and advocacy work, and has built a membership of 12,000 in 156 countries.

The name change is one of a number of measures to help it reach more educators, researchers, administrators and students around the world. Earlier this year it released a three-year strategic plan and updated mission statements, and a new logo and website will follow later this autumn.

“The new name, supported by the new strategic plan and a new brand identity, will really help support our core mission of professional development and education for thousands of teachers,” said TESOL’s Executive Director, Rosa Aronson.