The oral production in an italian textbook for foreigners

Abstract

This paper will analyze an Italian didactic book for foreigners – Chiaro! A1 – addressing specifically its oral production activities from three specific Didactic Units (UD). Considering the information offered by the book in its prologue and the activities indicated by it focused on communication, we will investigate how effective the information is, and how the language is understood within the manual. We will be adopting the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (QCER) (CONSEJO DE EUROPA, 2002) and the Communicative Competence (HYMES, 1972; BALBONI, 2002; MAINGUENEAU, 2004) as our methodological and theoretical basis inserted in a larger educational context of language teaching and learning from a Communicative Approach (ALMEIDA FILHO, 2010; RICHARDS, 2006; RICHARDS; RODGERS, 2003; BORNETTO, 1998). Our conclusions point out to a possible inadequacy in the use of the "communicative" terminology for the handbook.