By Ashley J. Hastings, PhD
President, Global Language Education Service, Inc.

Many people around the world are studying English. They need English to succeed in work, school, or relationships. Common sense tells us that we can learn to read a language more quickly if we can already understand it well. Common sense tells us that we can learn to write a language more quickly if we can already read it well.

Some language programs use this common-sense way of teaching English. Students work first...