I was reflecting on this idea. No kid has ever failed to learn the language of the society in which they live, yet we "fail" kids in language courses in school. Surely it should be the "teaching" that gets the fail.

Almost all real language learning occurs in "informal" mode. The class gives a little bit of structure, the diploma keeps the student working a little more than they might without this carrot - but the actual learning is happening more outside of the classroom than inside.

For student-led learning - the challenge then is finding ways of structuring the environment + incentives to encourage greater productivity, creativity, innovation.