Abstract
Rubin (1975) identified seven major characteristics of "good language learners. "I would like to focus specifically on Rubin's assertion that being a good guesser (deriving the meaning of language from context) is essential for language learning. Research has shown that many Asian countries including Japan focus on rote memorization and translation when learning English. However, in my opinion such strategies ignore an essential part of the Japanese experience : Paying close attention to situational norms and context to achieve the desired result. In other words, Japanese people often make very accurate guesses during their personal and professional interactions. Using both outside research as well as my own in classroom exercises as case studies, I will show how Japanese teachers and students can harness this natural ability to learn how to better communicate in English.
