Reading about Content-Based instruction made me realize how much I buy into that idea. Even though I'm a grammar nut, I've always believed that content-based learning is a much more effective way to teach a new language than by constant correction and an emphasis on being "right" over conveying an idea.
Along those same lines, I believe that a natural acquisition setting is much more effective than a structure-based setting. Since students get to focus on the language for several hours a day instead of just in short snippets, students will get stronger and more immersive experience with the target language.
The structured setting doesn't appeal to me as much due to the fact that there is more pressure on the student to be correct, and there is less emphasis on accurately conveying an idea. The communicative setting is more appealing to me but I still don't like the idea of only exposing the students to the target language for 60 minutes a day.
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I totally agree with you on the effectiveness of natural acquisition contexts. The thing is when it is easy for ESL students to be exposed to authentic settings outside the classroom, it's not the same for EFL students. In my opinion, the communicative instructional environment works best for EFL learners. And 60 minutes a day may be just OK, given the fact that students have many other subjects to take care of too.
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