Particularities of imperfect tense in the italian L2 textbook Nuovo Espresso 2

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the presentation and approach of verb tenses and aspectual values of the imperfect tense in Nuovo Espresso 2 (BALÌ; RIZZO, 2014) textbook, according to the most recent ideas about second language teaching in the communicative context of the post method (KUMARAVADIVELU, 2006) and the premise of the communicative purposes from the functionalist currents (PEZZATI, 2011) as well. In an even more specifi c way, we address the imperfetto presented in this textbook from the perspective of the real mode and the didactic strategies used by the authors during the phases of globality, analysis, reflection and synthesis. The results point out that the authors emphasize the iterative and descriptive functions of the imperfect tense of Italian, presenting motivational and prototypical texts of the occurrence of these functions, so that the learner can achieve the following communicative competences: narrating facts from childhood, telling about trips and habits of the past or describe past situations, ending up with learning verification exercises that include the apprentice’s ability to relate, complete table, texts, with verbal forms, or other
elements of the text, complete and/or link phrases, choose appropriate expressions, and identify functions. Although there is a balance in the presentation of these two functions, the data collected attest that the authors do not present in that textbook the narrative function of the imperfect, totally disregarding it.