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In unit 7, I have learnt there are four essential elements to learning a new language; to understand its meaning, be exposed to it, know how it's constructed and be able to practise and produce it. It is also important to realise that, as a teacher, you offer a balance of grammar, vocabulary and functions of a new language, to your students. I have learnt that a 'straight arrow' ESA approach is probably best suited to a grammar or vocabulary lesson, whilst a 'boomerang' or 'patchwork' ESA is more suited to a functions based approach. However, these rules are not written in stone and can be adapted to suit the language ability and age of the students. I am confident that these structures will help me to develop interesting lessons to cover new vocabulary, grammar and functions for my students. From this unit, I am now aware the levels of grammar that need to be taught are generally more structured. However, I have noted that it might be difficult to choose which vocabulary to teach because of the sheer volume of words in the English language. It is going to be important when selecting vocabulary I consider it is appropriate to the students, tasks and how frequently it will be used. I have learnt that I will need a firm grasp of the grammatical structures that I want to teach my students otherwise I will not be able to explain clearly what they need to know. Evidently, the students need to know what the language means, how it is used, what the grammatical form is and how it is both said and written. I have understood that lessons involving the teaching of functions need to include the speaking and communication of the English language. It is important to include areas such as agreeing and disagreeing, suggesting and inviting as well as appropriate language such as formal, informal, tentative and technical. For students to be successful they need to understand a purpose of a new language and use it appropriately.
