Speaking is a significant productive skill in language.

Teaching speaking gained its

importance due to the importance of speech in communication. In other words, if there is no
speaking, there is no communication. Thus, teaching speaking should follow certain
methodology that helps achieve this communication or interaction using a variety of activities,
both accuracy and free activities, to reach its aim eventually. How to teach speaking? What is the
difference between accuracy and fluency activities? How can both fit in a speaking plan? All
these questions will be answered below.

One of the most successful methodologies in teaching speaking is the ESA plan. It consists
of three stages which are engage, study and activate. The first stage in ESA is the engage stage.
It is the stage where students are "hooked" to the topic. At "engage" stage, the teacher starts to
arouse students' interest in the topic through discussions, videos, realia or pictures. A teacher
uses such items to motivate students, engage them, encourage them to make predictions about
the topic and relate the topic to their real lives. According to Harmer(2010) this stage is
important because " when students are properly engaged, their involvement in the study and
activation stages is likely to be far more pronounced".

The second stage is the study stage which is actually a stage of practice and language
examination. At this stage, students are introduces to vocabulary of the target language. They
practice and study any words, expressions or collocations related to the topic. Accuracy activities
are dominant at study stage. They are controlled activities that aim at testing the students'
understanding to what has been covered at the study stage. Typical accuracy activities would be
matching, filling in the gaps or rearranging sentences. This kind of activities doesn't allow
students to make errors and, even if made, they are instantly corrected. They are activities that
tend to ensure that students fully mastered the material covered.

The last stage is the activate stage which is the actual time for production. On the contrary
of accuracy activities, fluency or free activities done at this stage allow students to communicate
freely and interactively.at the activate stage, students start to personalize language()studied at the
study stage. Free activities at this stage allow students to use language communicatively and
relate it to their real lives. There are many examples of free activities such as: debates, role plays,
information gap activities, questionnaires …etc. This kind of activities gives more space for
making errors which are, on the contrary of accuracy activities, corrected after the activity
through taking notes through the activity with all problems or errors, then having a discussion
with students for feedback and gentle correction. Thus, the aim of this stage is communication
rather than examination of language.

Hence, the three stages are interconnected. They need to be present at any speaking lesson
plan to minimize any challenges and help students effectively communicate at the activate stage.
Thus, the lesson plan below presented the three interrelating stages to fit in a role play as a free
activity at the activate stage.
 A- Description of class:
Proficiency level: pre-intermediate
Age group: grade 4 (9-10 years)
Duration: 60 min
B- Class fit: Students have been studying different jobs as well as some vocab related to it.
They have studied the present simple both in the negative and affirmative forms and listening
work.
C- Theme/ Topic: Shopping
D- Language focus: all and any esp. vocabulary related to shopping.
E- Learning objectives: By the end of this lesson Ss should be able to:
1- Identify vocabulary related to shopping.
2- Reorder a dialogue about shopping.
3- Engage in a shopping role play.
4- Practice taking turns and interactive listening.
F- Anticipated problems: Students might not know enough vocabulary about shopping in the study
stage. They might also have difficulty in handling the activities especially in the activate stage.
G- Suggested solutions: T should use flash cards, a web, and realia for vocabulary illustration.
Teacher should always model before an activity and recap Ss understanding to instructions.
Giving Ss prompts while answering is also important. T. should also prompts discussion or makes
a quick take to push the activity in case Ss have difficulty.

stage procedures Grouping Aids Time

/seating
-Arouse students' interest by entering class with
some shopping bags for famous shops,
Engage These bags should have real items inside them.
-Teacher starts showing students the items she
bought when she went shopping yesterday.
-Then elicit from students the theme or the topic
they'll speak about which is shopping.
-Teacher introduces different kinds of shoppers
through a large poster on board (1): bargain
hunter, window shopper and a shop around
shopper.
-Teacher discusses the differences between them
with students.
-Hand out work sheet 1 (appendix2 to students
to ask each other in pairs these questions about
shopping.
-Then, teacher conducts a whole class discussion
so each can present his friend's answers
-Ask students in pairs to write a list of any
different kinds of shops they can think of along
with two items they can buy at each. This
activity is to set background and relate the topic
to Ss lives.
- Students socialize and compare their answers.
 .
- T. starts brainstorming to elicit on board all
Study new vocabulary related to shopping; whether
names of shops, items bought from them, or
actions done in each. (resource 2)
-Use flash cards or realia to teach any difficult
Study 1 vocabulary.
-Give out worksheet 2 as a pair activity in which
students will name the shops and sort the words
in their right places.
-Then, teacher checks orally a whole class
checking on board as the sheet is monitored on
board.
-After that, as a group activity, T. hands out
worksheet3 in which students will match each
verb with its correct noun.

-Discuss with students shopping collocations

always used when they go to a shop, introduce
these new expressions and on each occasion each
Study 2 is used.
Ex: Can I help you?
How much is it?
What size?
Can I pay by credit card? Etc…..
-Hand out worksheet 4 as a group activity in
which students match each shopping expression
with its meaning.

-In pairs students will reorder a dialogue

between a shopkeeper and a customer
(worksheet 5). Illustrate to students that
Study 3 shopkeepers are column (a),while customers are
column (b)
-T. moves around to prompt when needed.
-After they finish make a whole class check and
monitor the conversation on board.

Fluency activity: shopping role play.

-Divide the class into shops. Each table is a shop.
-Give names to each table; for example: one table
Activate is a café, one is a pharmacy, one is a bakery, one is
a supermarket, and one as grocery.
-Number students to have equal number of
shopkeepers and customers, 5 for each, or double
the number if it's a large class.
-Then divide students into two groups: shop
owners and customers
-Ask shop owners to make labels for their shops.
- After dividing students into these two groups,
give shopkeepers a price list (worksheet 6). It is a
list of the items they have at their shops along with
a blank price column to add the prices they will
use. Ask shop owners to sit together and determine
the prices.
-Then give each customer at the other group a
shopping list of different items to buy from each
shop (worksheet 7). Customers' group sits to
discuss where they will buy each item from and
which expressions they may use while shopping.
-Teacher makes it clear to students that they should
visit these shops, ask for the exact items in their
lists and mark any items they won't be able to find.
-Illustrate that the dialogue to be used in this
activity is similar to the dialogue they have just
ordered (worksheet 5) using similar expressions.
-Teacher can demonstrate the role play by being a
customer herself heading to a shop, asking for an
item to buy. Shopkeeper checks the price list and
sells her what she wants.
-T. makes sure to recap instructions to make sure
students understand their roles.
-During activity T. monitors and passes by to
ensure the activity is running smoothly and to take
notes of any errors or problems noticed.

-Besides, T. prompts discussion to push the activity

if there is any silence or confusion with no
correction at this stage.
-After the activity is finished, T. asks students
about their feedback on how the activity was as
well as the problems they faced before giving her
feedback.
-Then T. writes common errors on board and
discusses them with students. Discussing errors
among the whole class should be without stating
who made these errors by names, so there wouldn't
be any humiliation to students.
Appendix 1 Resources:

Resource 1 Poster

Resource 2
Appendix 2 Worksheets

Worksheet 1

Worksheet 2

Put each word in its correct box:

chocolate panadol carton of milk

cereal magazine coffee

newspaper sandwiches cough mixture

newsagent Café pharmacy Supermarket

Worksheet 3

Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5

Worksheet 6- price lists: