After extensive research on second language acquisition, he came to the following conclusions:

"Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill."

What do most language courses offer almost exclusively? Grammatical rules, and LOTS of drilling (and when I say LOTS I mean it!)

"Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding."

What do ALL courses on DVD and CD rom offer? A total focus on the form of the utterances. How you say something is more important for them than the context in which it is said.

What don’t those courses offer? Meaningful communication. You cannot communicate with anyone simply because there is no one there for you! You are just talking to some language software. Is that real immersion in the language? Would you consider the main focus is to get students conveying meaning and understanding?

"The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are 'ready', recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production."

Traditional courses on DVD and CD Rom FORCE students to produce from the very first contact they have with the new language. There is only ONE and NOT two or three answers. Communication is not the focus. It is form. Does this seem to go in line with these empirical findings on how languages are acquired? Definitely not!

"In the real world, conversations with sympathetic native speakers who are willing to help the acquirer understand are very helpful."