Chapter in:
Advancedness in Second Language Spanish: Definitions, challenges, and possibilities
Edited by Mandy R. Menke and Paul A. Malovrh
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 31] 2021

An exploration of advanced-level learners’ verb choices in variable mood-distinction contexts

| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
The current study builds on research on advanced-level Spanish and variable mood distinction (the subjunctive-indicative contrast) by exploring learners’ willingness to use both verbal moods in specific linguistic contexts that have been shown to be variable for a group of native speakers of Spanish. Namely, when presented with multiple verb forms that native speakers use in particular linguistic contexts, this investigation examines the extent to which graduate-level learners report that they are willing to use both subjunctive and indicative forms in these variable mood-distinction contexts. The results suggest that learners are more open to using both verbal moods when the linguistic context includes a lexical trigger of uncertainty and when they have lived in more than one Spanish-speaking country.
Keywords: variation, verbal moods, subjunctive-indicative contrast, additional-language Spanish
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