ESA Lesson Patterns Explained: Straight Arrow, Boomerang, Patchwork

The Engage, Study, Activate (ESA) framework is one of the most practical lesson planning models for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). Developed by Jeremy Harmer, ESA provides teachers with a flexible structure that promotes student engagement, language awareness, and meaningful communication. While many teachers are familiar with the basic ESA sequence, fewer understand that the framework can be adapted into three different lesson patterns: Straight Arrow, Boomerang, and Patchwork.

Each pattern has a different purpose and works best with different learners, language points, and classroom objectives. Understanding when to use each one can help you design lessons that are more responsive to your students’ needs.

This blog will give you a solid understanding of the ESA lesson planning framework taught in OnTESOL’s accredited 120-hour Advanced TESOL / TEFL Certificate course.

The Foundation: Engage, Study, Activate

Before exploring the three lesson patterns, it’s important to understand the three stages that make up every ESA lesson.

Engage

The Engage stage captures students’ interest and prepares them for learning. The goal is not to teach new language immediately but to create curiosity and establish a meaningful context for the lesson.

Teachers may use discussion questions, photographs, short videos, games, stories, songs, or personal experiences to encourage students to think and communicate. A successful Engage activity lowers anxiety, increases motivation, and gets students using English naturally from the beginning of class.

Study

The Study stage focuses students’ attention on the language itself. Depending on the lesson, this may include grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, discourse markers, or functional language.

During this stage, teachers guide students to notice language patterns through examples, concept checking questions, controlled practice, pronunciation drills, and written exercises. Rather than simply explaining rules, effective teachers encourage learners to discover patterns and test their understanding.

Activate

The Activate stage allows students to use the target language as freely and communicatively as possible. The emphasis shifts from accuracy to meaningful communication.

Typical Activate activities include role plays, debates, information-gap tasks, problem-solving activities, interviews, presentations, simulations, and collaborative projects. Students should focus primarily on expressing ideas rather than worrying about making every sentence perfect.

According to Harmer, the Activate stage is not limited to speaking activities. It can also occur during reading and listening comprehension tasks (receptive skills), where students actively engage with the text or audio by drawing on their prior knowledge (schemata) to interpret and construct meaning.

With these three stages in mind, teachers can organize lessons using three different ESA lesson structures.

Straight Arrow ESA

The Straight Arrow lesson follows the simplest and most familiar sequence:

This structure works particularly well when students are learning new language for the first time.

For example, imagine teaching the Present Perfect for life experiences.

The lesson could begin with pictures of unusual destinations or experiences. Students could identify the places, say which ones interest them, or briefly describe a memorable trip using language they already know. This Engage phase introduces the theme of the lesson and activates relevant background knowledge without requiring students to use the Present Perfect before it has been taught.

Next, during the Study stage, students are exposed to the Present Perfect in context through a situation, dialogue, text, or short video clip. Rather than introducing the grammar through isolated sentences, the teacher presents it as part of a meaningful interaction.

For example, students might read or listen to a short dialogue such as:

Anna: Have you ever been to Japan?

Ben: Yes, I have. What a beautiful country! Have you ever been there?

Anna: No, I haven’t, but I have always wanted to go.

After students have understood the overall meaning of the dialogue, the teacher guides them to notice the target language by eliciting its meaning, form, pronunciation, and use. This is followed by controlled practice activities that help students gain confidence before moving on to more communicative use of the language.

Finally, students move into the Activate stage by interviewing classmates about their experiences and reporting what they learned.

The Straight Arrow model is ideal for beginners and lower-intermediate learners because it introduces language gradually and provides a clear progression from presentation to communication. 

Boomerang ESA

The Boomerang lesson follows a different sequence:

The Engage stage remains the same as in a straight-arrow lesson: its purpose is to generate interest in the topic and engage students emotionally.

However, instead of moving directly into the Study stage, students first complete an Activate activity. This may involve reading or listening for comprehension, a discussion, a problem-solving task, a role play, or another communicative activity that allows them to use their existing language resources. During this stage, the teacher observes how students communicate and identifies opportunities for language development.

The lesson then moves into the Study stage, where the teacher focuses on language that is relevant to the communicative task. This may include grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, or functional language that emerged from the reading or listening text, or from the students’ speaking activity. Students analyse the language, notice its meaning, form, pronunciation, and use, and complete controlled practice activities, all within the Study phase.

Finally, students return to an Activate stage in which they use the newly focused language more freely and communicatively. This may take the form of a discussion, presentation, debate, role play, or collaborative task that encourages students to express their own ideas with greater confidence and accuracy.

For example, in a lesson on giving opinions, students might first discuss whether social media improves communication. After observing the discussion, the teacher focuses on useful language for expressing opinions, such as In my opinion, From my perspective, I strongly believe, and Personally, I feel, together with their pronunciation and use. Students then participate in a second discussion, applying the newly studied language in a more fluent and communicative way.

Boomerang lessons are particularly effective with learners who already have some knowledge of English, as they encourage students to draw on what they know before focusing on new language that will further develop their communicative competence.

Patchwork ESA

Patchwork is the most flexible and sophisticated ESA lesson structure.

Rather than following one fixed sequence, teachers move between Engage, Study, and Activate stages several times throughout the lesson.

A Patchwork lesson might look like this:

The exact sequence depends on how students respond during the lesson.

For example, imagine teaching students how to give presentations.

The lesson begins with students watching a short TED Talk and discussing what made the speaker effective. Students then give a brief one-minute presentation themselves.

The teacher notices several recurring issues, including weak transitions and limited signposting language. The lesson shifts into a Study stage focusing on presentation phrases such as First of all, Let’s move on to, and To conclude.

Students immediately practise these expressions in a second presentation. The teacher then identifies pronunciation issues, briefly revisits stress and intonation, and asks students to present one final time using both the improved language and delivery techniques.

Rather than forcing students through a rigid lesson structure, Patchwork allows instruction to evolve naturally based on learner performance.

This flexibility makes Patchwork particularly valuable in Business English, IELTS preparation, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and advanced communication classes.

Which ESA Pattern Should You Choose?

There is no single “best” ESA lesson structure. The most effective teachers select the pattern that matches their lesson objectives and their students’ needs.

Straight Arrow is best when introducing completely new grammar, vocabulary, or language functions, especially with beginner and lower-level learners.

Boomerang is ideal when students already have some knowledge of the language and benefit from discovering what they need through communication before receiving explicit instruction.

Patchwork offers the greatest flexibility and allows teachers to respond continuously to learner needs. It requires more experience but often creates the most natural and engaging lessons.

Ultimately, all three lesson patterns share the same goal: helping students move from understanding language to using it confidently in real communication. By understanding when and why to use Straight Arrow, Boomerang, and Patchwork ESA, teachers can create lessons that are not only well organized but also learner-centred, communicative, and highly effective.