Some Observations on the Use of Verb Tenses in Italian L2: Business Italian

Abstract

In the process of producing Italian business correspondence texts, Slovene communicators from the corporate world often encounter various insecurities when they try to verbalize the complex aspectual, temporal, and modal relationships expected in the Italian verb system. These insecurities are evident in texts written both by non-native high proficiency speakers and by communicators with a more limited linguistic repertoire. These non-native speakers are also more inclined to compose very brief texts, containing a rather restricted range of verb tenses, even in situations when the communication needs and aims would require the composition of a less concise text.

Considering these non-native speaker difficulties, the question arises how much attention business Italian textbooks pay to tasks whose objective is to develop competence regarding the awareness and the use of verb tenses within business correspondence. This research shows that – depending on various parameters, such as the CEFR level of single textbooks, their more or a less communicative-oriented approach, the relevance ascribed to business correspondence etc. – significant differences can be found between the works studied as to the presence of the tasks and the verb tenses they cover. More such tasks and their proportional distribution in a foreign language class could sensitize users/learners to have more focused and accurate awareness in recognizing the combinations of elements that trigger the use of particular verb tenses. The aim of such an approach or sensitization is, firstly, to acquire an adequate comprehension of texts and, secondly, to produce pragmatically effective texts.