Ser todo oídos - Un análisis de las actividades de comprensión auditiva en tres manuales suecos de ELE para el nivel B1

Abstract

This paper studies the listening comprehension exercises of three different student textbooks used to learn Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) for upper secondary schools in Sweden, to determine whether these exercises help students develop adequate listening comprehension skills in the target language and level step 4 (the Swedish equivalent to the level B1.1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFR). We analyze listening comprehension activities included in the first and last chapters of each student textbook, using a set of criteria that we developed from the theories and concepts included in this paper, the guidelines from the curriculum for modern languages for Swedish upper secondary school, and the recommendations presented in the CEFR. Our results show that the exercises deal with the topics and domains put forward by the Swedish curriculum and the CEFR for this level. Furthermore, the exercises also present various Spanish dialects, which is also strongly advised by the Swedish curriculum. Regarding the theories and the research carried out in the field, however, we have found that not all listening comprehension exercises provide appropriate opportunities for students to develop and improve their listening skills to the same extent. We also include suggestions for future studies.