The treatment of language styles in the guidelines and dialogues contained in Italian textbooks

ABSTRACT Textbooks play a central role in foreign language classes, often constituting the main material through which the learner comes into contact with the target language. Therefore, in this investigation, we examined whether and how the textbooks Linea diretta and Rete!, used in teaching Italian/FL in the state of São Paulo, deal with the continuum of formality. For this purpose, on the basis of relevant bibliography (SOBRERO & MIGLIETTA, 2008; COVERI et al., 1998; BELL, 1984), we selected 16 criteria related to register variation and observed their presence and treatment in the 102 dialogues contained in the two textbooks, as well as in the guidelines present in the student’s books and in the teacher’s guides. Based on the set of data gathered, it is possible to say that the textbooks studied do not sufficiently deal with this dimension of variety and that they are almost exclusively limited to superficial explanations about the use of the pronoun tu in informal situations and Lei in formal contexts.