Linguistic distance and teaching material design for PAL: insights from beginner textbooks in Brazil and South Korea

This study analyzes how linguistic distance may influence the design of Portuguese as an Additional Language (PAL) textbooks at the beginner level, by comparing four materials published in Brazil and four in South Korea. The analysis focuses on: (a) the definition of learning content in the textbooks and its relationship with the CEFR; (b) the criteria for selecting content for the beginner level; (c) the pacing and progression of this content for learners; and (d) the strategies for selecting and addressing linguistic distance in the design of teaching materials. The results indicate that Brazilian textbooks assume greater proximity between learners’ linguistic repertoires and Portuguese, while South Korean materials adopt specific adaptations for learners whose first language is typologically distant, highlighting the relevance of linguistic distance in language teaching and materials design.