Glagolski vid u inojezičnome hrvatskome – izazov na mnogim razinama

It a well-known fact that verbal aspect is one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, part of Croatian language for most learners of Croatian as L2. The reason for that is the complexity of the category and the fact that it is not enough to master complex Croatian verbal morphology in order to use verbal aspect in the appropriate manner. To use verbal aspect appropriately it is at least equally important to master syntax and semantics as well as to have a broader knowledge of the world as it is seen through the Croatian language. Due to the complexity of verbal aspect on different levels, it is almost impossible to give clear, unambiguous rules to L2 learners, which is the cause of constant frustration for both students and teachers.
In this paper, the authors will present Croatian verbal aspect as a part of a wider linguistic category – aspectuality, and discuss prerequisites for its acquisition. Teaching about verbal aspect is tightly connected to teaching the other important component of aspectuality – verbal aspect, aktionsart. Based on classroom experience and relevant literature, the authors will discuss the complexity of verbal aspect on all levels and possibilities for incorporating it in teaching Croatian as L2 to all learners – from beginners to advanced. Special attention will be given to non-linguistic factors that can influence the use of verbal aspect, i.e. to situations when linguistic markers are not substantial enough for proper choice of verbal form and when concepts like specific common knowledge among collocutors, their expectations, or the size of the object are considered to be more relevant.