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In this unit, I learned about all the different kinds of techniques that go into teaching English as a foreign language. Although there are many previous methods that have contributed to English teaching, ESA is the most appropriate method. This method involves three stages - Engage, Study, and Activate. A lesson can have more than one of each stage, but each lesson must always start with and Engage stage and end with and Activate stage in order for it to be effective. The purpose of the Engage stage is to engage the students - it is a warm-up to the class and effective in gathering the students' attention. Some examples of this are introductions, partner information sharing, and alphabet games. The Engage material does not necessarily need to relate to that day's language point, but it is better if it does. The Study phase is where the day's language point is introduced. This is where students learn about the language and the appropriate way to use it. Some examples of the study stage are elicitation, pronunciation drills, spelling drills, and language analysis. Following Study is the last phase, Activate. Activate is more focused on fluency and creative usage of the language rather than accuracy. A great Activate tool is role playing.
In this unit I also learned about the importance of correction and how to correct students. In ESA, correction is more important in the Study phase than the Engage and Activate - you want students to fully understand the language point you are teaching. If you do have to make corrections in the Engage or Activate stage, you should do so only if it is an error that is in the language point being taught, being made regularly by the student and/or class, and/or the mistake seriously impedes understanding. When making any corrections, you should always allow the student themself and the class a chance to find the mistake and correct it before correcting it as the teacher. If the students fail to correct the mistake, then the teacher should make the correction but only after the student has finished talking. Teachers must always remember to remain positive even while making corrections.
Learning should be fun and effective for students. By following an ESA method of teaching, students can have fun and engage in the language while teachers can observe and correct the students when necessary, with the goal being that students understand the language point while also feeling comfortable enough to being creative with the language in order to discover more of it.
