I’m not sure I understand the question. As a native English speaker in an English-speaking country, none of my teachers ever doubted my ability to hold a simple conversation with them. So our English classes were mostly about literature and advanced vocabulary (with spelling and grammar being mostly an elementary school thing). But when I learned a non-English language, the teachers were definitely interested in whether I could hold a simple conversation (or read/write a simple story). Spelling and grammar still counted, but practical skills were definitely the goal.