Las formas de tratamiento en el español colombiano y su reflejo en algunos manuales de E/LE

Abstract

In theory, textbooks for teaching and learning Spanish as a foreign language contain indications of how to interact socially within the Hispanic world. Thus, a textbook should indicate, for example, which way of addressing is suitable for a context of both politeness and informality. However, what do we do if the indications for these uses do not match the linguistic reality that exists in a particular Spanish-speaking country? In the case of Colombia –apart from having three different ways of addressing– there can be found another use of usted, which does not always suggest formality. In this case, usted is also used in the context of informality, closeness and friendliness. This phenomenon is called ustedeo, which can even happen to mean a more natural identity than tú to those who use this ustedeo. Likewise, this can happen in other Spanish-speaking countries. Specifically, for this project, we have analysed some textbooks for Spanish as a foreign language in order to see the explanation and conceptualisation of the different ways of addressing. We have carried out this analysis as regards the uses of the ways of addressing used in the Colombian Spanish variety, for example, the informal and colloquial ustedeo. Lastly, we have designed a teaching unit that could be taken to class when working on this sociolinguistic phenomenon, as well as other ways of addressing. This teaching unit is also based on materials concerning Colombian Spanish.