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Unit 3 was about theories, methods and techniques. The unit introduced language learning theories such as Grammar-Translation, Audio-Lingual, Presentation, Practice and Production, Task Based Learning, Communicative Language Teaching, Community Language Learning, The Silent Way, Suggestopaedia, The Lexical Approach, and Engage Study Activate. Since Engage Study Activate (ESA) is best suited for trainees and new teachers, it is what this course is based on, and was the most presented. ESA is modern in that it is student focused, gives the teacher flexibility, and is primarily focused on eliciting what students know and helping them discover the language and apply it with what they already know. In ESA, the engage stage should be motivating with high student talk time, each student should speak some English. Instead of correction it is focused on warming the students up and finding out what they already know. It?s more engaging than it is teaching. During the study stage, students are first elicited for information. Then, the students are presented with the new language point and drilled and given exercises. It?s the stage where students are focused on the construct of the new language item. Students may work individually or in pairs or groups. If possible, students will self-correct, correct each other, or if needed, the teacher may frame a correction in a positive approach. The final stage, activate, is focused on fluency over accuracy. Students use the new language point with their already existing language. They speak as freely and as communicatively as possible, without restrictions. Feedback as necessary at the end, but the activity should not be interrupted. There are many different lesson plans for the ESA theory of language learning. Lesson plans can be Straight Arrow, Boomerang, or Patchwork. Straight Arrow follows the steps once in order, engage, study and activate. In the Boomerang approach, the teacher only introduces the language points when the students demonstrate that they don?t know it. A Patchwork lesson plan can have many mini sequences built into the middle as needed (in any order). All three lesson approaches must begin with engage and end in activate. Although there are many theories, methods and techniques, the main goal of each is to teach students a new language. It is important to be as positive and supportive as possible in the learning process. Modern approaches are more student focused and understand the need to create lessons that students want to participate in, in which the language point is clearly presented and applied.
