Acquisition and Preference in the Usage of Verbal Aspect in Russian as a Foreign Language by Spanish L1 Learners

Abstract

This study delves into the errors and usage preferences related to the verbal aspect in Russian among 51 Spanish L1 learners who are studying Russian as a foreign language at a B1/B2 proficiency level. Responses to a questionnaire designed specifically for this research and openly accessible, focusing on distinguishing and identifying usages and meanings of the verbal aspect in Russian, were collected over three academic years (2021-2024) within the same course in the Degree in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Granada. Techniques of data mining, clustering, and univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were used for the treatment and analysis of data. Results show some trends in the comprehension and usage of the verbal aspect in Russian as a foreign language among the analyzed population of learners with L1 Spanish. Notably, the study reveals the challenges associated with acquiring new usages or rules that learners have not encountered in the initial stages of learning Russian as a foreign language or that, in some way, seem to contradict or not align well with the rules and associations formed in those early learning stages. Furthermore, while no statistically significant difference was found regarding the preference for imperfective-perfective usage, certain trends were observed in specific grammatical, lexical, or pragmatic categories and contexts. The findings highlight the difficulties faced by learners with L1 Spanish studying Russian as a foreign language in comprehending, identifying, and discriminating between the meanings and usages of the verbal aspect. This study suggests the need for further data-based research in the tense-aspect acquisition in Russian as a Foreign Language to optimize the organization and design of materials, task sequencing and planning, and, consequently, the development of effective pedagogical interventions.