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Article published In:
Current Visions of TAML2: Tense, Aspect and Modality in Second Languages
Edited by Paz González and Tim Diaubalick
[Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics 8:1] 2019
► pp. 117–135

A single concept to teach mood contrast in Spanish

| University of Glasgow School of Life Sciences

Traditional methods for the teaching of the Spanish mood system are generally focused on the different morphosyntactic and semantic connections between the matrix and the embedded clause. This generally entails the provision of an extensive classification of subordinate clauses with the embedded verb in the subjunctive mood plus another classification with the exceptions which students need to learn/memorise in order to use them under controlled conditions. A preliminary study was carried out in which L2 learners were introduced to the subjunctive mood following a different approach (i.e. cognitive-operative). Based on the single binary opposition of declaration/non-declaration by Ruiz Campillo (2004), this approach provides a single operative value which can explain all the uses of the subjunctive without exception. The results were positive and showed that introducing Spanish mood contrast by means of this conceptual pair has the potential to improve learners’ ability to select between moods.

Keywords: Spanish subjunctive, mood contrast, L1/L2 instruction, traditional/formalist approach, cognitive-operative approach, declaration/non-declaration
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1The morphosyntax, semantics and pragmatics of the Spanish subjunctive
    • 2.2The cognitive-operative approach
    • 2.3The instruction of the Spanish subjunctive
  • 3.Pilot experiment
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Materials
    • 3.3Procedure
    • 3.4Results
  • 4.Final remarks
  • Notes
  • References
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Published online: 11 March 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/dujal.19005.sol
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