[Jack in Tokyo]

I have taught English in Japan for nine years using different textbooks changing my approach occasionally. Currently the textbooks use an eclectic approach - traditional grammar, communicative language teaching, task-based learning etc. Something is not working with English teaching in Japan - witness the ranking of Japan proficiency on the TOEIC scale almost at the bottom of the list of countries. There appears to be no framework on which to hang English. Could the functional grammar approach via Derewianka/Halliday/Systemic Functional Linguistics be successful? I am struggling to introduce some of these elements into my classes at a basic level. Anybody have any comments.
John Curran