Resumen de An Approach to Modality for Higher Education Students of English
Marta Carretero Lapeyre, Juan Rafael Zamorano Mansilla, Jorge Arús Hita, Francisco Nieto, Cristina Alonso, Asunción Villamil Touriño
It is well known that English modal expressions pose no small problems for Spanish-speaking students. We believe that Higher Education students, due to their capacity for conceptual reasoning, may benefit from understanding the concept and types of modality and by knowing the main expressions of each type. This paper will set forth an approach to the expression of modality in English in these lines: modal auxiliaries will be shown to have a given degree of strength in all their uses, which may apply to two or more types of modality. Due to the functional basis of this proposal, modals will be viewed together with other realizations of all the meanings within the area of modality. We will also suggest diverse activities geared towards familiarization with modal expressions, including analysis of authentic texts and exercises based on communicative functions such as supposing or requesting.
