One of the greatest failures of the English language industry in Japan is not addressing the complexity of language learning. Leaning too heavily on linguistic analysis, the ESL industry has offered gullible students and harried teachers quick, superficial fixes. What students need is a broader explanation of how to utilize the multiple skills, personal attitudes and ways of thinking that can really help them.
One conceptual framework that can make up for this lack is systems theory. Systems theory offers a new approach to learning English. Instead of just teaching one discrete skill after the next, pedagogy should help students construct a system where those skills function together by supplementing and supporting each other. If students have strong skills, but no system to organize those skills, they cannot do much. It is like a computer with no search function; what is needed can never be found, even if it’s in there somewhere.
"Once upon a time…" is one of the greatest phrases ever. It signals the beginning of a story, a switch in thinking and feeling, and a chance for fun and learning. People love stories from the time they are born. Stories are one of the first things we hear as human beings, whether as a lullaby, a baby book, a mother's chatting, or the age-old "you're going to be president some day, " as Americans tell their babies. We learn to listen to stories before we can even walk.