Synonymy and vocabulary teaching in Spanish textbooks for Chinese speakers

Abstract

The objective of this work is twofold. The first consist in analyzing how vocabulary is treated in Spanish textbooks for Chinese speakers; the second is to study the role given to synonymy as a resource for vocabulary teaching in these textbooks. To carry out this analysis, we have selected four basic level (A1-A2) textbooks. Among them, two are specifically intended for Chinese speakers, one of them is aimed at foreign learners, and the other is designed exclusively for vocabulary learning. The results of the analysis are as follows. Firstly, the lexical component does not receive an appropriate treatment in any of the textbooks which we have analyzed. This is due to a variety of problems that need to be resolved, such as the monotonous manner in which the words are presented and defined, the scarcity of communicative activities intended for vocabulary practice, the lack of strategies and resources for self-learning, etc. Secondly, they hardly use synonymy as a didactic resource for the vocabulary teaching.