Modelo, estándar y norma..., conceptos imprescindibles en el español L2/LE

Abstract

Teaching Spanish as a second language (L2) or foreign language (FL) is currently a field ripe with possibilities. Spanish is widely appealing to many people; at first glance it appears to be a relatively easy language and it affords its learners opportunities to converse with hundreds of thousands of native speakers in 20 countries and continental extensions in which Spanish is the official language. However, behind this image hide certain complexities such as those posed by the linguistic model teaching objective which consequently affects learning as the search for equilibrium continues between linguistic standard and variation. To take an educational and institutional stance based on rigorous criteria, it is first necessary to clarify certain "essential" concepts: model, standard and norm, and to enter into the fields of Dialectology, Sociolinguistics and Applied Linguistics. In this study we provide concise and fundamental explanations that help educators make appropriate decisions in this area within the specific context of their jobs.