L2 textbook evaluation in view of L2 adult learners’ real communication needs: a study of bureaucratic-institutional communication skills

In the context of adult language learning, there has been a long tradition of addressing the needs of English for tourism learners, on the one side, and tertiary education learners and the so-called “high education (alta cultura) level on the other. These are learners who need to learn another language to become able to comprehend mainly scientific, academic or professional publications in a particular foreign language” (cf. Siliotti, 2008: 258–259). The former target usually refers to initial L2 learning, which we would determine as A1 or A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (henceforth CEFR, 2001). Whereas the latter target usually refers to advanced learners, i.e., those at level C1 or C2. Consequently, this chapter argues that CEFR is targeted at specific groups of foreign language users, i.e., those who want to travel as tourists and those who represent professional and academic groups, if not elites, at opposite enols. The authors postulate that while it is obvious that “[it] is not possible for a general framework to specify in extenso all the communicative tasks that may be required in real-life situations” (CEFR, 2001: 54), it remains crucial to emphasize that CEFR makes no explicit and/or wider references to bureaucratic-institutional language contexts, neither for written communication (e.g. forms to fill in) nor for spoken communication (e.g. public service interactions), whereas “Communication at work” is reported in detail (CEFR, 2001: 53–54). Hence, in this writing this polarization is considered somehow idealistic. Also some suggestions as to possible ways in which this gap can be bridged are advanced following research results from a few EU-funded multinational projects.