8 ¿Cuál fue tu último viaje y cómo era?
Your Chapter 8 task is to describe your last trip and ask someone else about theirs.
I. Antes de viajar (Before traveling)
You just met Mexican actor, Gael García Bernal, who played the role of Ernesto Che Guevara in Diarios de motocicleta. Raise your hand if you’ve seen the film.
This film is based on Ernesto Che Guevara’s book,
Have you ever taken a trip by motorcycle? What is your preferred mode of travel when you vacation?
In Gael’s Chapter 8 introduction, he describes Ernesto’s infamous motorcycle trip, what he did, what countries he visited, how he prepared for the trip and how places like the Atacama Desert and Machu Picchu were fascinating and awe-inspiring.
Gael uses the preterit and imperfect past tenses in Spanish to describe Ernesto’s trip. What is the difference between the preterit and imperfect?
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.
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? 🙂
You are ready to identify the preterit and imperfect tenses in Ernesto’s postcard. 🙂
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.
¡Muy bien! 🙂
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.
Ernesto wrote many postcards to his mother during his travels. He also prepared for his trips by packing the clothing he needed and planning out his trip on a map. You will see these preparations in the opening scene of Diarios de motocicleta.
If you decide to take a trip (tomar un viaje), you probably prepared for the trip. Did you reserve a hotel or Airbnb? Did you buy your ticket online? Did you check the weather to see what to pack?
If you traveled by plane, did you check your bags in, go through security and board on time?
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, 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 hotel, hice la maleta, tomé un Uber al aeropuerto y facturé mi equipaje.
Did you all do similar things to prepare for your travel?
¡Excelente! 🙂
How do you think Ernesto prepared for his trip through Latin America by motorcycle? What type of clothing do you think he packed?
Watch the following film trailer by acontrafilmshome, to get a glimpse of Ernesto’s journey through the different South American countries and the diverse weather patterns he encountered.
You will notice that Ernesto walked through the heat of the Atacama Desert in Chile to the freezing and snowy alps of the Andes.
The trailer does not have subtitles. When you watch Diarios de motocicleta, you will have subtitles. For now, concentrate on the weather patterns Ernesto and Alberto had to endure during their trip.
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. What clothing did he 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?
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. Durante el viaje (During travel)
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 them.
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, 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! 🙂
You are now ready to converse with your TalkAbroad partner about their last trip. See Slide 53A for conversation questions related to one’s last trip.
There are also sample answers, in case your conversation partner reverts the questions back to you.
Play the audio to hear how the questions in Slide 53A are pronounced. Practice asking and answering these questions on your own.
III. Después de viajar (After traveling)
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 something 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)
You used the imperfect tense to describe your last trip. The imperfect is also used to describe habitual actions you used to do in the past.
Listen as Armando describes his childhood in Panamá.
For a transcript of Armando’s video, click here. Scroll to Armando.
Actividad S
Armando shared a lot about his childhood in Panama in the imperfect tense. ¡Qué interesante! 🙂
When learning about the imperfect, in Slide 53B you reviewed earlier, you were presented with key words that are associated with the imperfect because they denote habit or a repeated actions in the past.
Paso 1. In the following transcript, with a partner, find the key words that convey repetition or habitual actions in the past.
Hola. Me llamo Armando y soy de Panamá. Voy a hablar un poco de mi pasado. De niño, jugaba al fútbol con mis amigos casi todos los días. Siempre estaba afuera porque me gustaba estar en la naturaleza. Tenía pelo más rubio en mi niñez y me vestía en pantalones cortos y camisetas con frecuencia. ¡Hacía mucho sol en Panamá! También, leía libros de ciencia ficción cada semana. Por la tarde, comía empanadas y tostones con mi familia. ¡Eran deliciosos! ¿Y tú? ¿Qué hacías de niño? ¿Cómo era tu niñez?
For the answer key, click here.
Paso 2. With your same partner, answer the following questions about Armando’s childhood.
- ¿Qué deporte jugaba Armando de niño?
- ¿Por qué Armando estaba afuera siempre?
- ¿Qué color era el pelo de Armando de niño?
- ¿Qué ropa llevaba Armando en su niñez?
- ¿Qué tiempo hacía en Panamá?
- ¿Qué tipo de libros leía Armando de niño?
- ¿Qué comida panameña comía Armando con su familia?
For the answer key, click here and go to the 2nd page.
¡Excelente! 🙂
Get to know your classmates’ childhood with the imperfect tense.
Actividad T
Choose any 5 questions from the following Lotería game, and ask 5 different students what they used to do as children.
Click on the 2nd slide to know how to answer each question, if posed to you.
*If you are talking to a male student, you could say: Hola. De niño, ¿qué películas veías? (as a child)
*If you are talking to a female student, you could say: Buenas. De niña, ¿jugabas deportes? ¿Cuáles?
*If you are talking to a student who uses non-binary pronouns, you could say: Hola. De niñe, ¿qué música escuchabas?
To hear the questions pronounced, click on the audio.
¡Bravo!
It’s time to ask your TalkAbroad conversation partner about their last trip and childhood using the imperfect tense.
For conversation questions in the imperfect tense, see Slide 54. Sample answers are provided for you as well.
Play the audio to hear how these conversation questions are pronounced. You can practice asking and answering the questions on your own.
IV. Diaros de motocicleta
At the beginning of this chapter, you learned about Ernesto Guevara and his motorcycle trip through Latin America. In this section of the chapter, you will be watching the film, Los diarios de motocicleta, about this voyage.
Your instructor will give you access to the film. If you are not taking a course through the College of DuPage, you could check your local library or streaming services for access to Motorcycle Diaries.
While watching the film, you will answer questions using the preterit and imperfect tenses and the vocabulary on clothing and travel. The questions from the film will be your Writing I Assessment in Blackboard. You can practice answering them now.
Preguntas sobre Diarios de motocicleta
After watching the film, watch this video about Motorcycle Diaries and ethical travel by A Moonlighting English Teacher.
After watching the video, The Motorcycle Diaries Ethical Travel, go back to your answers in your document and see if you would like to change or alter any.
¡Muy bien! 🙂
VI. 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 and clothing. You also described your childhood using the imperfect tense and asked others about theirs.
For your Chapter 8 Final Assessment, you will converse with Ernesto about your last trip and ask him questions about his childhood to get to know him better. Be sure to address the questions he includes below. You can practice on your own.
