Teaching Vocabulary
─To learn vocabulary students need to know:
1. The meaning of the word
2. Part of speech (noun, verb adjective, etc.)
3. Use-how and when it is appropriate to use
4. Interaction-how it interacts and affects other words
5. Spelling-how it is written
6. Pronunciation-how it is spoken
Ways to teach vocabulary with the Engage-Study-Activate
method
ESA is a method of sequencing your lessons and it has three stages (engage,
study, activate). The engage stage gains the learner’s attention, the study stage
is where the learner practices and produces the target language, and the
activate stage is where the learner does communication-based activities. These
stages can be moved around and repeated to form different combinations. This
is different from the PPP (plan, prepare, produce) method because in ESA the
stages can be moved and repeated more than once.
Engage
Think of the engage stage as a warm-up, with a clear link to the study stage,
but without teacher or correction. The following methods can all be used to help
engage the students and to elicit/explain meaning (remember, elicit means to
ask the students before you explain).
1. Realia (objects and materials from everyday life)
2. Mime and action
3. Pictures/video clips
4. Stories and anecdotes
5. Contrast
6. Discussion
7. Discovery
Study
The study stage usually includes controlled practice and activities, focusing on
accuracy. Study activities can include:
2
1. Gap-fill exercises
2. Word searches
3. Crosswords
4. Matching exercises
5. Example sentences
6. Pronunciation exercises, such as drilling
7. Study from texts and dialogues
Activate
The activate stage allows learners to use language more freely, focusing on
fluency. of a vocabulary lesson may include such activities as:
1. Class, small group, or pair discussion
2. Role-play
3. Simulation
4. Story building
5. Material production tasks (making a poster, advertisement, pamphlet, etc.)
6. Debates
Common ESA sequences
Here are some common ways to use ESA, however, you can organize them based
on the needs of the learners and the type of activity.
Straight Arrow
● The sequence goes: Engage-Study-Activate
Boomerang
● The sequence goes: Engage-Study-Activate 1- Study- Activate 2
● This sequence allows students to improve their accuracy with a
second activate activity
Patchwork
● The sequence goes: Engage-Activate-Study-Activate-Study-Engage
● This sequence is very interactive and students are given
multiple times to engage with the material
● This sequence gives teachers the opportunity to respond to the
students’ needs
