The Role of Metonymy in Teaching the Spanish Verbal System to L2/FL Learners of Spanish

Abstract

. This paper explores the application of conceptual metonymy (Lakoff, 1987; Ruiz de Mendoza, 2000; Langacker, 2009; Panther, Thornburg and Barcelona, 2009; Barcelona, 2013) in the development of pedagogical resources for the teaching of the Spanish verbal system to L2/FL learners. To this end, a description is given of the advantages of introducing inferential reasoning using metonymy based on certain principles taken from the Cognitive Grammar model (Langacker, 1987, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009) in grammar teaching materials – both descriptions and activities. We focus on tense uses that involve metonymic processes, particularly, the meaning extensions in two Spanish past tenses: (1) the actional meaning of stative verbs when conveyed in pretérito indefinido (preterit) , as in Pudimos comprar la casa ‘We could buy the house’, metonymically extended to Compramos la casa ‘We bought the house’; and (2) the distancing use ( uso citativo ) of pretérito imperfecto (imperfect) when referring to current facts, as in ¿Cómo te llamabas ? (How PRO.REFL.2SG call. IPFV.PST.2SG?) ‘What was your name again?’, which is metonymically extended to ( Se me ha dicho / No recuerdo / No he oído) cómo te llamas [(‘I have been told/I can’t recall/I couldn’t hear’) how PRO.REFL.2SG call.PRES.2SG]. In order to discuss the kind of contribution that this conceptual standpoint can make to the teaching of the Spanish verbal system, the pedagogical potential of some techniques and resources is explored in terms of (a) metonymic and metaphorical reasoning in pedagogical grammar descriptions, (b) consciousness-raising paraphrase exercises focused on meaning indeterminacy, and contribuir a la enseñanza del sistema verbal español, se explora el potencial pedagógico de algunas técnicas y recursos, en concreto, (a) descripciones gramaticales pedagógicas centradas en el razonamiento metafórico y metonímico, (b) ejercicios de paráfrasis centrados en la indeterminación del significado para promover la concienciación de los aprendientes, y (c) la creación de redes y el uso de imágenes (dinámicas) para ejemplificar la variabilidad de las conceptualizaciones del significado gramatical. ( imperfecto ). 4.2. Stative verbs understood as actions or changes of state when used with Spanish preterit or with the progressive periphrasis ( estar + Gerund). 5. Pedagogical implementations. 6. Conclusions. References. Cómo citar: Castañeda Castro, A.; Sánchez Cuadrado, A. (2021). The role of metonymy in teaching the Spanish verbal system to L2/FL learners of Spanish. In Tense, Aspect and Modality in L2. Recent Applied Studies, L. Quintana Hernández and B. Rodríguez Arrizabalaga (eds.), Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 32(3), 71-94, org/10.5209/clac.76713