Think of it this way.
Just learning vocabulary and grammar doesn't help students communicate.
So teachers focus on aspects of engaging topics and
activities to really help the students communicate.
That means they may have to teach multiple ways to use a single phrase or
to put their teaching in to particular communicative,
in order to help students learn to communicate better.
I love the use of materials that are as close to real world as possible.
Communicative teachers call these authentic materials.
>> Hold on!
Sir, when a communicative teacher brings a menu to class, from Japan,
that means that suddenly, you are having an authentic Japanese experience.
You can't expect communication in the classroom to be authentic.
The classroom is not the real world.
So could you use the materials in the classroom and
then suddenly have it spring into being authentic and besides you can't expect
beginning learners to understand anything from authentic materials unless you
are using children's materials which, by the way, is really boring.
And might I add, a bit condescending.