ESCP Europe

Langue

Italian

Publication year

01/01/2025

This article analyzes and compares descriptive writing tasks in English and Italian foreign language (FL) coursebooks at the A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The theoretical part examines writing both in general and within the context of FL learning and teaching, delving into text types, written production, reading comprehension, cohesion and coherence, and more. The concepts of scaffolding and writing frames, as well as writing tasks and materials are also thoroughly explored. The empirical part consists of a comparative analysis of descriptive writing tasks found in three English FL coursebooks (English File Elementary, Solutions Elementary, New Headway Elementary) and three Italian FL coursebooks (Nuovo Espresso 2, Al dente 2, Volentieri! A2), aiming to answer two research questions. Are descriptive writing tasks found in English FL coursebooks more comprehensive in comparison to those found in Italian FL coursebooks? If that is the case, which elements of the less structured and systematically developed descriptive writing tasks could be adapted or enhanced? English and Italian FL coursebooks offer a wide range of topics, and while some are completely different, there are quite a few that overlap. For this reason, the article focuses on the writing tasks found in units that cover the same or very similar topics; more specifically, the description of homes and living spaces, and the description of holidays and travelling. In addition, the empirical part includes two examples of descriptive writing tasks in Italian modified based on the findings of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]