ESA Lesson Format -Engage

ESA or engage, study, activate is one format of lessons that might be employed in the TEFL classroom. The ESA structure proposed in “How to Teach English,” Jeremy Harmer (Longman 1998) goes some way to addressing the shortcomings of the Presentation, Practice, Production model of language learning.

Firstly before we examine ESA perhaps it is a good idea to reflect on what language learners need for effective language learning to take place. Three basic requirements can be identified, the learners need to be motivated, they need exposing to the language and also be given an opportunity to use it.

So what is ESA, well put simply, it is a format that seeks to fulfil these basic requirements of the language learners more effectively than previous models. This is achieved by planning a lesson in that incorporates engage, study and activate phases. However these phases should not be viewed in isolation but can and should contain several interlinked activities.

Today I would like to provide an overview of the ENGAGE phase of the lesson.

Engage is all about getting the learners interest and engaging them in the process of the lesson. It follows that if they, the learners, are involved and interested then they will find the lesson stimulating and hopefully become fully engaged in the process. To achieve this engagement activities involving the use of games, music or pictures might be used.

Ideally the engage phase will produce links to the target vocabulary that is to be introduced in the lesson.

Here is an example:

Aim of session

For the learners to be able to identify and use job related vocabulary.

Engage Activities

Version of noughts and crosses: arrange a grid with pre- positioned letters. The letters are chosen by teacher and should equate initial letters of words from the target vocabulary. However it doesn’t matter if learners choose none target related vocabulary as long as they are engaged in the process.

Split class into two teams-X & O.

One team chooses a start point and must come up with a word beginning with the letter in that position. once complete the X or O representing that team replaces the initial letter used. The game continues until there is a winner or stalemate occurs. Depending on time you could repeat the game.

List the words generated on the white board isolating any words that are part of target vocabulary.

Learners could be told to relate words to the specific topic, in this case jobs.

Finally ask each team to come up with a sentence using some of the generated words.

OK that’s it for today, more in later posts on the Study and Activate phases of ESA lessons.

Related posts:

1. ESA Lesson Format-Study
2. ESA Lesson Format-Activate
3. Types of ESA Lesson Formats.