The article proposes Stern's (1983) framework for classifying issues related to instruction in order to ascertain the relevance of Universal Grammar (UG) in the ESL/EFL classroom. Discussed in this article, particularly as UG pertains to them, are issues related to: (a) L1 transfer; (b) teaching rules and giving error correction versus presenting structures by analogy; and (c) the extent to which the focus should be content rather than language. The article will be of interest especially to teachers and also SLA researchers. The author draws on some examples in English and French, but then presents his conclusion along with further issues he raises based on his recent experience in Japanese universities. [A recent version of this article appears in "Studies in Culture, The Journal of the Faculty of Humanities," n32, November 2005, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Sapporo.]