Q. I’m using a text that presents both Spanish verbs, “Saber and Conocer” (to know) at the same time. How do you handle this?
A. In my opinion the mistake we make as teachers is to focus on individual words – this is a great example. In reality, words cannot make sense without other words around them. It is because of the other words that we acquire the single word – acquire not learn. So when we use comprehensible input to deliver understandable messages, the subtleties in meaning around, for example, those two verbs are marvelously dealt with by the unconscious mind, as Krashen has shown. We need only deliver the input, while the deeper mind sorts the details out during sleep. It makes our jobs a lot easier. We deliver the input to job site, but we don’t have to do any actual work. So many ruined careers because of this false idea, that language teachers have to work themselves so hard. So sad!
A more pithy and pissy and yet more honest answer to the question would be, “The hubris and pride and greed found in the motives of those who sell textbooks has led them to think that they can do things like present those two verbs at the same time in a chapter. They actually believe that it is a good thing to do, to categorize the language. In doing so they intellectualize the language. But the language can’t be thought about, it must be lived. Language acquisition doesn’t just involve the conscious mind, but also the unconscious mind not to mention the heart. In doing this, the textbook people effectively reduce the actual research to rubble on their way to what Krashen once told me is a $1.3 billion industry. No wonder he is made out to be the enemy.