8 ¿Cuál fue tu último viaje y cómo era?
I. ¿Cómo preparaste para tu último viaje?
Have you ever traveled before? Where did you go? How did you prepare for the trip? How did you feel while traveling? What was the place that you visited like? Did the trip change you at all? How so?
To answer these questions, you will use the past tenses, the preterit and imperfect, to describe your last trip in a postcard to a loved one.
What is the difference between the preterit and imperfect tenses?
Watch as Maddies_Mundo describes the basic difference between both tenses.
Baselang gives you more precise examples of when to use the preterit versus imperfect tenses.
Actividad A
Based on Maddies_mundo and Baselang’s videos on the differences between the preterit and imperfect, select the correct tense you would use in the following scenarios.
Now that you are aware of the differences between the uses of preterit and imperfect, it is important to recognize the verb conjugations and endings of the preterit and imperfect tenses. You will use them later in the chapter to describe your last trip in a postcard.
Spanglish con Ana walks you through the conjugations of the preterit and imperfect tenses in the following 6-minute video.
Actividad B
Based on Spanglish con Ana’s video that highlights the endings of both preterit and imperfect verbs, see if you can correctly place them in their appropriate categories in the following activity.
How did you do? 🙂
Have you ever watched the film, The Motorcycle Diaries, directed by Walter Salles and produced by the late Robert Redford?
This film is based on Ernesto Che Guevara’s book,
See the following trailer of Diarios de motocicleta by acontrafilmshome. For the dubbed version in English, click on the settings wheel.
Ernesto journaled quite often during his trip and wrote and received postcards, which you will see in the film.
Ernesto is going to read one of his postcards that he wrote to his mom during his trip through Latin America. Ernesto includes the preterit tense, highlighted in blue, to explain what he did on his trip. These are Ernesto’s completed actions with a determined end.
Ernesto also includes verbs in the imperfect tense, highlighted in pink, to describe what the people and places were like along his travels through Peru. These are not actions that Ernesto did. Rather, Ernesto is describing how the people were and what they were doing. He uses the imperfect tense because the narration of the people in Peru represents a continuous action or description in the past.
Listen to the audio as you read Ernesto’s postcard to his vieja, another word for mom used in Argentina. The English translation is on the 2nd slide.
Actividad C
In the following activity, identify the completed actions (the preterit) and the descriptions or ongoing actions in the past (the imperfect). Use Ernesto’s postcard with the preterit verbs in blue and the imperfect ones in pink as a guide.
Look at the endings of each verb that Spanglish con Ana presented in her video to help you determine whether the verb is in the preterit or imperfect.
To prepare for his trip, Ernesto planned his route on a map, packed clothes for different climates, and made sure to bring his medicine. You will see these preparations in the opening scene of Diarios de motocicleta posted by Screen Themes.
Similar to Ernesto, Emma recently traveled through South America to practice her Spanish-speaking skills and learn about Latinx culture.
The song playing in the background is called “Gracias a la Vida” by Los Machucambos.
Listen as Emma describes how she prepared for her last trip in Slide 49. Play the audio to hear how the vocabulary terms are pronounced.
Actividad D
Emma jotted down what she did to prepare for her last trip to South America, but her sentences are not in order.
Put Emma’s travel preparations in the order she said she completed them from Slide 49.
¡Muy bien! 🙂
Actividad E
How did you prepare for your last trip? Using the vocabulary from Slide 49, make a list of 5 things you did to prepare. If you’ve never traveled out of state or the country, you can make a list of what you did to prepare for any overnight travel.
Paso 1. Write 4-5 activities you did to prepare for your last trip. Also include where you traveled to.
Modelo- Antes de viajar a México, compré un boleto de ida y vuelta, llevé mi pasaporte, revisé el clima en Cancún y compré ropa nueva para el viaje.
Paso 2. Ask 1-2 students where they traveled to last and what they did to prepare for their trip.
Modelo-
Hola. ¿Adónde fuiste en tu último viaje? ¿Cómo preparaste para el viaje?
Example answer- En mi último viaje, fui a Cape Cod. Antes de viajar, reservé un Airbnb, hice la maleta, tomé un Uber al aeropuerto y facturé mi equipaje.
Did you all do similar things to prepare for your travel?
¡Excelente! 🙂
In the trailer of The Motorcycle Diaries that you saw earlier in this chapter, did you notice that Ernesto walked through the heat of the Atacama Desert in Chile and rode a motorcycle through the freezing and snowy alps of the Andes?
Because of the extreme weather conditions between the southern and northern parts of Latin America, Ernesto had to pack clothing that would be appropriate for both warm and cold climates.
In Slide 50, you will find a list of clothing items and accessories for cold and warm weather. Which items do you think Ernesto packed for his trip?
Press audio for the pronunciation of the articles of clothing or accessories.
Actividad F
Place the items Ernesto packed in their correct category. Which clothing items did Che pack for warmer and colder weather? See Slide 50 for reference.
¡Muy bien! 🙂
Actividad G
Charlie is packing for his summer study abroad program to Costa Rica. He is so excited!
Listen to what Charlie packed, and then answer the questions below.
¡Muy bien! Would you like to visit Costa Rica too? What would you pack for your trip there?
Actividad H
What do you think your classmates packed for their last trip? Ask 2-3 different students what clothing or accessories they packed for their last trip. They must include at least 4-5 items.
Modelo-
Student 1- Hola. ¿Qué empacaste para tu último viaje? ¿Adónde fuiste?
Student 2- Buenas. Empaqué jeans, zapatos de tenis, una chaqueta y camisetas porque fui a Seattle en la primavera.
II. ¿Qué hiciste en tu viaje?
You used the preterit tense to describe how you prepared for your last trip. ¡Bien hecho! 🙂
What if someone were to ask you what you did on your last trip? Can you answer that question with verbs in the preterit tense?
You will first need to know how to conjugate your verbs in the preterit.
Watch as Speak Spanish with Paula presents the preterit tense and its conjugations and uses.
For a summary of the preterit tense and how the verbs are conjugated, see Slide 51.
Actividad I
Based on the video by Paula and Slide 51, select the reason each of the sentences would require the preterit tense.
¡Excelente! 🙂
Slide 51 and Paula’s video demonstrate how to conjugate ar, er, ir and irregular verbs in the preterit tense. This will become useful when you share what you did during your last trip.
To help you convey that information, Slide 52 includes yo form preterit ar, er, ir and irregular verbs already conjugated for you that reflect travel activities completed in the past.
Play the audio to hear how these activities are pronounced.
If there is something you did during your trip that is not included on Slide 52, you can go to this link, put in the verb, and word reference will conjugate it for you in the preterit yo form.
Actividad J
This is a photo of Ernesto Che Guevara, on the cover of his book, which the film,The Motorcycle Diaries, is based on.
In the following activity, select which activity Che most likely did when he traveled through Latin America based on the prompts provided.
Use Slide 52 as a reference.
¡Súper!
Actividad K
Fede is a graduate student studying in Uruguay. Fede loves Che Guevara’s book, Diarios de motocicleta. He recently traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina with his girlfriend to visit el Museo de Che Guevara, which is located in Alta Gracia.
In the following activity, select the phrase Fede most likely said about his trip in the preterit tense, based on the cues provided.
¡Muy bien!
Actividad L
What did you do during your last trip? Where did you go? Did you have fun? 🙂
¿Qué hiciste en tu último viaje?
Paso 1. Revisit Slide 52. Select 3 activities you did during your last trip from there.
Modelo- En mi último viaje, yo también ____________, _____________ y ______________.
Paso 2. Ask a classmate what they did on their last trip, and if they ask you, read your answer from Paso 1.
Modelo- Hola. ¿Qué hiciste en tu último viaje? Answer- En mi último viaje, _____, _____ y _____.
¡Bien hecho! 🙂
Actividad M
Are you a more adventurous or reserved traveler?
Ask a classmate what they did on their last trip by reading the question on each pair of images from This or That? (¿Este o ese?). Your classmate will choose from the two options and let you know what they did on their last trip.
Modelo-
Student 1- ¿Qué hiciste en tu último viaje?
Student 2- Viajé por avión.
Go through all of the questions, and keep tally of how many activities your classmate did from the right side images versus the left.
Then switch roles.
If your classmate did more activities from the left images, this means they are a more adventurous traveler. If they did more activities from the right images, this means they are a more reserved traveler.
Which one is your classmate? Look at your list and tally the activities from the left versus the right images.
Left side: If your classmate is female: Mi compañera de clase es viajera aventurera. If they are male: Mi compañero de clase es viajero aventurero. If they identify as non-binary: Mi compañere de clase es viajere aventurere.
Right side: If your classmate is female: Mi compañera de clase es viajera reservada. If they are male: Mi compañero de clase es viajero reservado. If they identify as non-binary: Mi compañere de clase es viajere reservade.
¡Bravo! 🙂
Practice conversing about travel by asking the following questions to your classmates.
Actividad N
Choose any four questions from the following list to ask your classmates about their last trip. If they ask you a question, see the 2nd slide for ways to answer.
You did very well. You learned about the preterit tense, how to use it in conversation to ask someone about their last vacation, and how to describe what you did during your last trip. ¡Magnífico! 🙂
If you would like to converse with a Spanish-speaker about their last trip, review Slide 53A below.
Play the audio to hear how the questions in Slide 53A are pronounced. Practice asking and answering these questions on your own.
III. ¿Cómo era tu viaje?
Have you ever traveled somewhere that moved you so much, you couldn’t wait to describe it? Was it beautiful? Was it majestic? How was the weather there? How were you feeling when you were there? What was it like?
To describe an experience in the past, you would use the imperfect tense.
Watch the following clip by CineClips of Ernesto as he arrives to Machu Picchu for the first time. What do you think he was feeling?
Actividad O
Based on the video you just saw of Ernesto visiting Machu Picchu for the first time, select the most appropriate answer for each question.
Did you notice that the questions and answers were in the imperfect tense versus the preterit? Because you were answering questions about descriptive aspects such as how Ernesto was feeling, what he was wearing, what the weather was like and how he was describing Machu Picchu, this would require the verbs to be in the imperfect tense since they do not have a specific end point.
Watch as Tell Me in Spanish introduces you to the imperfect, discusses when and how it is used in conversation and presents the verb conjugations for the tense.
Actividad P
Based on what you just learned about the imperfect tense from Tell Me in Spanish, select the correct answer for each question.
For a summary of the imperfect tense, see Slide 53B.
Listen as Ernesto Guevara reflects on his motorcycle trip through Latin America with his best friend, Granado. Ernesto describes the places and people he encountered during his trip using the imperfect tense.
Actividad Q
You listened to Ernesto share memories of his voyage through Latin America with Alberto.
Did you hear all of the verbs Ernesto used in the imperfect tense when describing the geography of Chile, the clothing of the women in Peru, the age and intelligence of their young tour guide, and the weather while on the road?
How did you do? 🙂
Similar to Ernesto, Lourdes also took a trip to Latin America recently.
Actividad R
Paso 1. Lourdes is sharing a photo with a friend and discussing how her trip was using the imperfect tense. Select whether the following statements that are true or false, based on Lourdes’s vacation photo.
Paso 2. Discuss your last vacation with a classmate. Ask your partner to describe their last trip using the imperfect tense.
- ¿Estabas solo/a/e o con familia o amigos en tu último viaje? Answer: Estaba ______.
- ¿Qué tiempo hacía? Answer: Hacía _____. or Estaba _____. (weather)
- ¿Cómo te sentías o cómo estabas durante tus vacaciones? Answer: Me sentía ____ (emotion). or Estaba ____. (emotion)
- ¿Qué ropa llevabas en tu viaje? Answer: Llevaba _____. (list some of the clothing items)
- ¿Cómo era el lugar (the place)? Answer: Era ______. (adjective to describe the place you visited)
¡Bravo!
When traveling, the weather plays a significant role. It could determine the location of your next trip, the mood while traveling or what you pack.
When discussing the weather in the past, often times, you will use the imperfect tense. To ask someone about the weather during their last travel experience, see Slide 53C.
Play the audio to hear how these weather expressions are pronounced.
Actividad S
Paso 1. During Ernesto’s journey through Latin America, he came across various weather patterns. Select the correct weather expressions for each photo below.
Paso 2. When describing someone, something or an experience in the past, you learned that you also use the imperfect tense.
In groups of two, describe what Ernesto and Alberto were wearing in numbers 1 and 4 using the vocabulary from Slide 50.
Modelo- En la foto 1, Ernesto y Alberto llevaban ____, ____ y ____.
Paso 3. In the same groups, describe how Alberto was feeling in foto 2.
Modelo- En la foto 2, Alberto estaba ________. OR En la foto 2, Alberto se sentía _______.
Actividad T
Take out your cell phone and search for photos from your last trip. In groups of two, ask each other the following questions in the imperfect tense.
- ¿Qué tiempo hacía en tu último viaje? (Use an expression or two from Slide 53C to answer.)
- ¿Qué ropa llevabas en tu viaje? (Use the imperfect tense and vocabulary from Slide 50 to answer.)
- ¿Cómo te sentías en tu viaje? To answer- Me sentía ______. <~~ fill in with an adjective of emotion
To continue your conversation about your last trip using the imperfect tense, read the following questions in Slide 54. You can play the audio to hear how each question is pronounced.
IV. Diarios de motocicleta
Your instructor will provide a link so that you can watch The Motorcycle Diaries with subtitles.
While watching the film, you may answer questions using the preterit and imperfect tenses and the vocabulary on clothing and travel in the following document. The questions from the film are to serve as listening comprehension practice and an opportunity to develop your intercultural competence skills. This assignment is optional.
Preguntas sobre Diarios de motocicleta
After watching the film, watch the following video about Motorcycle Diaries and ethical travel by A Moonlighting English Teacher.
What do you think about The Motorcycle Diaries Ethical Travel video? Would you like to return to your answers in your document and change or alter any of them?
Did you enjoy the film?
V. Chapter 8 Final Assessment
In Chapter 8, you learned how to describe your last trip and ask others about theirs with the preterit and imperfect tenses and vocabulary on travel, clothing and weather.
For your Chapter 8 Final Assessment, you will write a post card about your last trip in Blackboard.
For a preview, click on the following link: Writing Assessment Guidelines
