LEARNING SPANISH PRETERITE AND IMPERFECT FUNCTIONS AN ACTIVITY FOR BEGINNERS. Carlos Ux6, La Trobe University For the student of Spanish as a second language the difference between the preterite (past) and the imperfect (past) tenses in Spanish is one of the most difficult aspects of Spanish grammar to grasp. As a result, it is important to establish the differentiating shades which presuppose the use of one form or the other little by little, thus creating from the first moment a secure base to which more sophisticated uses of the tenses can gradually be added. It is fundamental, before entering into more complex digressions, that the student fully comprehend the most basic differences between these tenses. In order to address this need, I am proposing an activity which I have been in the process of perfecting during the last few years with beginner students, Before turning to the description of this activity, 1 would like to clarify a few points: a) This, as stated above, is an activity for beginners. For this reason, only two uses of the imperfect are mentioned: firstly, as “a lasting action, and while this action continues another occurs” and secondly as a "description" (of people or things, as well as the background in which the primary action transpires). b) Prior to carrying out the activity, the preterite/imperfect difference must already have been explained to the students. The function of the activity is to reinforce and apply grammatical theory. ©) The teacher should avoid telling the student in advance to use a specific verb form because s/he is going to transmit a particular message. Rather, the activity deals with encouraging the use of the preterite and the imperfect tenses without the student being conscious of the choice being made. 25avadde suoore> ay) YIU UL sapso ayy SuLMo[joy way) JaquiNU oF aiqesiape si yf “seadde [EM stamsue sjuapnys ayy ‘ sed and?,) ,cpauaddey yyy, uonsanb ayy MO}aq “YUM UL puvogaNYM ay} uo uUNjor e dn yas ULDd JoPNASUL ayy aul autos suaprys ayy Sula sayy “paisaBSns sx (zsoxj0 soy_ua gsed anb A?) gssayjo ayy ut pauaddey yeym pur “(,cou? ‘aaquioy ono e ofndiua aiquoy un ofngsp 9019} [2 Ug.) ,1Y8" ‘weUL JojouR paysnd uvut ve arnyord PANY Oyy UL, axl] Buayuas y “way) Jo pajadxa st aytrajaid ayy Jo as ayy yey) Aypudxa syuapnys ayy {121 01 you yng ‘a[dwiexa uv aatB oy aiqestape st yf “(avid sayey Aqqear Bunpou om) ys1y ay UE asneraq ‘UO auO psIyy ayy WO4y) SUOOLD ay) Jo yova 405 (zosed anb ajueyodust spur oj sa anb?) ,zpauaddey yey Bury juepodwr ysour ayy st wus, ‘ (zosed and?) ,cpauaddey yeym,, uonsonb 34} 0} Surpuodsas ‘sated ur s{20M 0} payse ase syuapnys ayy :Ayanre pasodoig ye ure ayy oy usp AvUT sOjMASUL ay} ‘WX9} 9Y} POojsiapuN aaey syuapnys [|e WeYY ains up “(paure|dxa aq 01 suoy fequan ayy YUM sutaiqoid Aue Surprove snyy ‘asuay quasard ay uy) 11 aquDsep 0} SiUapms ayy Jo aU ySe OF Lapr pood v st 1 ‘puayazdutos 0} syuapnys auios 40j yjnoyyIp aninb aq Aeur yojd ayy sy “euep ay jo yo}d ayy pue suajrerey> ay} Yjoq MoUy OF 128 syuapNys ay) ‘Paradunt ay Pur ayiajaid ays uaasniaq saouasayip ayy our SuTZa}Ua noyyM ‘Kem sR UT ‘Monisod ayeudosdde sy) 0} saouazuas asayy SuNer0[-a4 UL sysisuo> AyD” suid ayy ‘Sed ayy jo woyoq ay) oF parous Uaaq avey siaIDeseY> UOO}eD ayy 4q pazayn saouaiuas ayy ‘paysene 1224s 41om ay) UL paasasqo aq Ue sy “asoge Peuitino Ayanoe jenuas yuanbasqns ayy pue Yom oy ase Ady) YTY YIM 1S ayy ype stuapmis ay) SuisueyUEs ye swe YR “GiANPe-ad & Yoq Yash si yorym dujs stwos e st asiuaxa siyy ut padojdusa jenayeus fay ayy,ces tly ird ore jue the the vill the responding to the question "What else was happening at the same time’ Next, the students are asked to carry out a similar activity, this time (Qué otra cosa pasaba al mismo tiempo?"). It is also good to give an example so that the students will follow a model which offers them the imperfect, but without them necessarily grasping the reason for the change of tenses. Once more using the third cartoon as an example the expected response would be something like "The people were waiting to cross" ("La gente estaba esperando para cruzar"). As in the example mentioned earlier, the instructor will write up another column on the board to the right of the first one, this time under the heading "What else was happening?” ("2Qué otra cosa pasaba?"). Instead of insisting that the students work in pairs, thus repeating the same activity three times, the last part should be done with the whole class. The students are asked to describe in each cartoon one of the characters or the place in which the action occurs. For instance, they can be asked "What was the man wearing when they pushed him?"(;"Qué Ievaba el hombre puesto cuando le empujaron?), "Were there more people in the street?” ("gHabia mas gente en la calle?), "Was he happy or sad?" ("zEstaba contento o triste ‘All the answers are placed in separate columns, titled "People / Things" (Personas | Cosas") and "Background" ("Lugares"), to the right of the first two columns. This done, now is the moment to draw the students’ attention to the tenses used “unconsciously” by them in each case: the preterite in the first column for punctual actions, compared to the imperfect in the other three columns 27eat Hyer RTT” seaneamnnnisns au uoded siya jo yeap soiyied ue uo syuouuos jnjdoy 40; suUeKN, WoHOUE] YUEYI OF USI [| + ystuedg ut sasuay payradut ayy pue ayuajaid ayy uaamjaq saouarayjtp ayy jo uoneueidxa pareortduros Aron ayy ut aoueape o} sn MoT[e oF ea[p Atyuatsyjns Mou st peor YL “Jassay /LUY saduaquas AL[TUNIS JN2}SUO2 OF aq aq OS[e P[NoYs ynq ‘pasn aie sasuay sed ayy Jo yoea Aym pueysi9pun 0} a1qe aq [uo jou Pinoys iuepms dy) Gast Anse ayy op pue Ayanoe siyy oF UoNeotdxa sould ayy oy syueyL -ajjea vy wa squad eyonut eqepy “eurpreqe8 vun eqeaatt Soria ap oun “avznus eivd opuviadsa eqeysa ayua8 e] opuens o1jo & o{ndwie aquioy up) -yaans ayy ut ajdoad jo yo] © azam a1at{{ “yeooutes v Butea sem WY) JO du “sous of Suntem azam ajdoad ay) aya ueur zyjoue paysnd uew y, se Yons saauaquas urejgo [TM am ‘sny] “stt00}2e> aanadsaz ay 40 sULIMIOD ay) JO yea wou Jamsue ue Surfer sarjasusays soouajuas ayeas> ue> sjuapnis ayy ‘aspozaxa siyy jo ed jeu ayy UL “sadeid pue sBunp ‘ajdoad jo suoydisosap 405 pue suonse jemaund yj f[smoaueyjnuns sns0 Ystys suoNse axqeinp 405HOJA DE TRABAJO oil {Quien es usted? 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