The formulaic sequences (FS) in the teaching of Spanish as FL / 2L. The lexical frequency as a levelling criterion

Abstract

Among the different types of units that make up the lexical component, the so-called formula sequences (FS) stand out, pluriverbal lexical units that are stored and recovered from memory as a whole at the time of use, and whose domain improves fluidity in the communicative interaction of the learners. However, it can be complex for the teacher to decide which FS to work at each level of teaching / learning, having traditionally used frequency as a criterion for levelling. This is why the main objective of this work is the analysis, through different Spanish corpus, of the frequency of the FS present in the Curricular Plan of the Instituto Cervantes (PCIC) to verify the possible correlation between the allocation of levels established in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the frequency of use among native speakers. On this basis, we propose guidelines for the levelling of these expressions in order to guide the Spanish teacher in their selection, thus contributing to the improvement of their teaching in the SFL / 2L classroom.