The variability of ser and estar (Spa.) versus the ambivalence of être (Fr.): Values and didactic models

Abstract

The essential purpose of this contribution is to highlight the values of the copula of the Spanish verbs ser and estar opposit to the French être, and at the same time, to propose some didactic solutions to solve errors made by French speaking students who study the Spanish as L2. Following this concern attached to the teaching / learning of foreign languages, the study raises the problem of the versatility of the verbs ser and estar opposit to être whose ambivalent character also entails a process of linguistic interference that hinders the assimilation of the values of these copula of the Spanish verbs and their correct use by foreigners learners. At the methodological level, the study is based on several exercises of translation, the direct consultation of some native informants whose mother tongue is the Spanish, together with several grammar manual of reference on this topic. Thus, taking advantage of a broad corpus compiled through these resources, the values and the fonctions of these verbal elements are explained to boost their learning and correct use following some didactic guidelines based on notional, aspectual and comparative analysis.