Contrastive analysis as a didactic tool: acquisition problems of the Spanish article in Slovene learners

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present a semantically based approach to the teaching of the Spanish article usage from the point of view of contrastive analysis, taking into account the role of plurilingualism and the development of  the learner’s linguistic awareness, as envisaged by the CEFR. Dealing with the development of the linguistic awareness of the Slovene learners with regard to the acquisition of the Spanish article, we try to explain the uses of the Spanish article and the linguistic (or extralinguistic) mechanisms employed by the Slovene language to express definiteness on the basis of examples from Julio Cortazar's short story Las babas del diablo and its Slovene translation  by Vesna Velkovrh Bukilica. Also, the most problematic uses of the article with which Slovene learners may have problems –because of significant differences between Slovene and Spanish in the areas of grammar concerned – have been classified according to the different levels suggested in CEFR and in Plan Curricular of Instituto Cervantes. The final purpose of the study is to show the pedagogic implications of the use of contrastive analysis in language learning, especially in dealing with complex grammatical issues such as the acquisition of the Spanish article by Slovene learners.