Abstract

This study is aims to analyse how the communicative approach is implemented in Hispanic-American curricula in the Language courses. Specifically, it investigates the link between communicative competences (reading, writing and oral skills) and linguistic competences (vocabulary and grammar), necessary to develop the former. The objectives of the study are: (i) determine which communicative competences are vocabulary and grammar contents supporting; (ii) identify which specific contents are addressed in grammar and vocabulary and (iii) analyse if such contents are supporting the relation between comprehension and production of texts. The contents of the curricular documents in 3rd and 6th grade of the 14 countries participating in TERCE (UNESCO, 2013) are analysed. These contents were categorized and then quantified by frequency analysis. The results showed that the contents of grammar and vocabulary are linked differently with reading, writing and oral skills, and that the work with texts is one of the most outstanding characteristics of the communicative approach.