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This unit covered a variety of different methodologies that may be used to teach English. Each methodology has its strengths and weaknesses, and there may be a time and place for each of them, but some stand out as being more useful in a greater variety of circumstances. Ultimately though, the most appropriate method to utilize will depend on each individual situation. The main focus of this unit was on the Engage, Study, and Activate (ESA) Method. This method is, in essence, fairly straightforward. The Engage stage focuses on involving the students and getting them interested in the lesson. Corrections should be kept to a minimum in this stage, and the introduction of new material should be avoided, as the goal is to get the students warmed up to thinking and speaking in English. The Study stage involves taking a closer look at the actual language that is being covered in the lesson. Elicitation from students usually occurs first to get the lesson started, after which the main language point is presented, followed by exercises to further examine the new material being introduced. The final stage, Activate, is focused on getting the students to actively use not only the language they have just learned, but any language that they have previously learned. The focus is on communication, so corrections and teacher interference should be kept to a minimum. There are numerous ways to use these three stages. One approach is the ?Straight Arrow? lesson, which follows the format of Engage, Study, and Activate. Another approach is the ?Boomerang? lesson, which follows the format of Engage, Activate, Study, and Activate. A third approach, called ?Patchwork,? uses the three stages multiple times throughout the lesson. Depending on the particular content of the lesson, one approach may be more appropriate than the others. One final note should be made in regard to correcting students. Students should self-correct when possible, as this allows for more time to fully engage with the material. If students are unable to self-correct in a timely fashion, peer correction is another option. A final option is teacher-student correction. This final option should be avoided when possible however, as it does not encourage students to reflect on their mistakes or errors.
