Theoretical underpinning of a model to teach the Spanish verbs haber, estar and ser in the classroom

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a didactic model of the verb forms hay, estar and ser. This model is based on a semantic view that makes some grammatical aspects of these verbs understandable to students of Spanish as a Foreign Language. The grammar theory underlying the model will be presented as the basis for subsequent research in the classroom. Although numerous studies have addressed the topic, both from a theoretical and a pedagogical perspective, the originality of this proposal lies in the use of spatial and visual metaphors that establish a systemic parallelism between some optical instruments and the three aforementioned verbs. The explanations are based on the etymological origin of the verbs, RAEASALE Grammar, and some concepts of the cognitive paradigm. We conclude that linguistic advances in recent decades have great explanatory potential that can be used in the teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language.