The primary difference between ESA (Engage, Study, Activate) and PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production) lies in the flexibility of their stage sequencing. While both models feature three distinct stages, PPP follows a rigid, linear progression, whereas ESA allows for dynamic, non-linear, and even recursive implementation of its stages.
Understanding PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production)
The PPP model is a traditional and widely recognized approach in language teaching, particularly for introducing new grammar or vocabulary. It is characterized by a linear, teacher-fronted progression designed to move learners from understanding to accurate production.
Stages of PPP:
- Presentation: The teacher introduces the new language item (e.g., grammar point, vocabulary) in a clear, controlled context. The focus is on meaning, form, and pronunciation. This stage often involves explanations, examples, and concept checking questions.
- Practice: Learners engage in controlled, guided exercises to practice the new language. Activities are structured to ensure accuracy, often involving repetition, gap-fills, matching exercises, or drills. The teacher monitors closely, providing feedback and correction.
- Production: Learners are encouraged to use the new language more freely and creatively in communicative tasks. This stage aims for fluency and allows learners to integrate the new language with existing knowledge in a less controlled environment, such as role-plays, discussions, or free writing.
Characteristics of PPP:
- Linear: Stages are followed in a strict order (P then P then P).
- Teacher-Centred (initially): The teacher often leads the presentation stage.
- Focus on Accuracy then Fluency: Moves from controlled practice to freer use.
- Predictable: Provides a clear structure for lesson planning.
Understanding ESA (Engage, Study, Activate)
The ESA model, developed by Jeremy Harmer, offers a more flexible and learner-centred approach to lesson design. While it also comprises three stages that broadly correspond to the PPP model, its key differentiator is the ability to adapt the sequence and repeat stages as needed, creating a more dynamic and responsive lesson.
Stages of ESA:
- Engage: The aim is to capture learners' interest and motivate them to learn. This stage generates curiosity, connects to prior knowledge, and sets the context for the lesson. Activities might include brainstorming, discussions, image prompts, games, or short videos. The goal is to get students thinking and speaking, creating an "aha!" moment or a sense of need for the upcoming language.
- Study: This stage focuses on the analysis and understanding of new language items. Learners pay close attention to the form, meaning, and pronunciation of specific grammar structures, vocabulary, or language functions. Activities can range from controlled practice exercises (similar to PPP's Practice stage) to explicit grammar explanations, error correction, or guided discovery tasks.
- Activate: Learners use the language freely and communicatively to achieve a task or express themselves. The emphasis is on fluency and using the language as a tool for communication, often simulating real-life scenarios. Activities include role-plays, debates, discussions, problem-solving tasks, or projects. This stage allows learners to experiment with the language without excessive focus on error correction.
Characteristics of ESA:
- Flexible/Non-Linear: The stages can be rearranged or revisited multiple times within a lesson (e.g., Engage > Study > Activate > Engage > Activate).
- Learner-Centred: Encourages active participation and communication from the outset.
- Focus on Communication and Engagement: Prioritizes getting students to use and interact with the language.
- Dynamic: Allows teachers to respond to emergent learner needs and interests.
Key Differences Between ESA and PPP
While both ESA and PPP provide frameworks for language lesson planning and share the fundamental idea of moving learners from exposure to production, their structural flexibility is the defining distinction.
| Feature | ESA (Engage, Study, Activate) | PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production) |
|---|---|---|
| Stage Order | Flexible – Stages can be moved around, repeated, or interwoven (e.g., "straight arrows," "boomerang," "patchwork" lessons). | Fixed – Always follows a linear sequence: Presentation → Practice → Production. |
| Focus | High learner engagement, communicative use from early stages, adaptability. | Controlled introduction of new language, accuracy-focused practice, then freer production. |
| Teacher Role | Facilitator, guide, orchestrator, responsive to learner needs. | Presenter, explainer, monitor, corrector. |
| Lesson Flow | Dynamic, responsive, can circle back to stages; emphasis on student interaction and participation throughout. | Step-by-step, methodical, often progressing from teacher-led to student-led activities. |
| Typical Use | Ideal for developing all language skills, fostering communicative competence, and lessons requiring high learner interaction and motivation. | Well-suited for introducing specific new grammar points or vocabulary in a structured manner, emphasizing accuracy in initial learning. |
Practical Implications
- For PPP: Imagine teaching the past simple tense. You'd present the forms and usage, have students practice by completing sentences with past simple verbs, and then produce by telling a story about their last holiday. This is straightforward and effective for clear grammatical points.
- For ESA: For the same past simple tense, an ESA lesson might engage students by showing them pictures of famous historical events and asking them to guess what happened. Then, they might study the specific past simple forms of irregular verbs. Finally, they activate the language by discussing a historical documentary they watched, using past simple to describe events. A teacher might then engage them again with a challenge to write a fictional past event, and then they might go back to study a particular nuance of past simple usage based on emergent errors from the first activation. This shows the iterative nature of ESA.
Advantages of Each Model
Advantages of PPP:
- Clear Structure: Easy for both teachers and learners to follow.
- Controlled Learning: Allows for systematic error correction and focus on accuracy.
- Effective for Novices: Provides a solid foundation for new language learners.
Advantages of ESA:
- Increased Engagement: Captures learner interest from the start.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: Allows teachers to adjust the lesson based on student needs and responses.
- Communication-Focused: Encourages meaningful interaction and language use throughout.
- More Realistic: Reflects natural language acquisition more closely by allowing for revisiting and re-engaging with language.
In essence, while PPP offers a reliable, linear path to language acquisition, ESA provides a more versatile and dynamic framework that prioritizes sustained learner engagement and communicative practice through its flexible stage sequencing.
