Nathaniel said:
…knowing a list of grammar points may be considered a skill, but it is not a communication skill. It is more like Sudoko or finding the differences in the two drawings. So I distinguish three practices: 1) communication (expression, comprehension and negotiation of meaning), 2) communication skill-building (practice ordering a taco) and 3) non-communication skill-building (grammar manipulations)….
I find this to be potentially a very useful elevator talk line to use when needed with our more obtuse colleagues. We just have to remember that the first practice of a language teacher would be alignment with the standards – communication, the second would be the way they do “communication” in the textbooks, which is bullshit in my opinion, and then traditional teaching.
If we could just remember those three things for those brief encounters in the hallway with our more obtuse colleagues, or even, if we are feeling brave on the day of a department meeting, we could use Nathaniel’s terms in surgical snippets to our colleagues like: “Oh, when you say that you are talking about communication skills as per the textbook. I understand!” or “Oh, I see that you are not talking about communication in terms of ACTFL but in terms of the textbook. I understand now, thank you!”
Doing this avoids larger confrontation. It is like going up on the side of their heads with a jab or slap and then walking away so they can’t say that we are trying to lecture them and stuff TPRS down their throats and then yell for mommy.