LINGUISTIC INTERFERENCE AS A CRUCIAL STAGE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Аннотация

The author examines the significance of language as a means of information exchange and its role in establishing international relations. Scientific and technological progress along with globalization foster intercultural cooperation while simultaneously causing mutual influence between languages and the emergence of new terminology. The term "interference" is widely used in foreign language teaching. The article investigates the difficulties Uzbek learners face when studying Russian and offers methodological recommendations. Keywords: language, interference, linguistic influence, intercultural cooperation, methodological recommendations. Language as a means of information exchange is essential for every nation and ethnic group. It facilitates communication among social entities within a specific territory sharing common linguistic characteristics. Language also plays a significant role in establishing international cultural connections. Scientific and technological progress coupled with globalization have transformed relationships between individuals and nations, strengthening business-oriented intercultural cooperation and the study of other cultures [1]. The interaction between different languages leads to mutual influence and the emergence of new concepts (terms), though errors may also arise. Выпуск журнала №-27 Часть–3_Июнь –2025 389 MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT The concept of "interference" (from Latin inter - between and ferens - carrying) was initially used in physics to describe wave interactions. Later, the term was applied in botany, biology, genetics, medicine, and biochemistry [2]. "Linguistic interference" emerged in the second half of the 20th century to describe the mutual influence of languages. Uriel Weinreich first introduced this term in linguistics in 1953 to denote speech communication between language communities. The Prague Linguistic Circle proposed the term "linguistic interference" to describe deviations from the norms of contacting languages [3]. The term "interference" is used not only in linguistics but also in foreign language teaching. The primary source of interference lies in the discrepancies between the systems of interacting languages. Uriel Weinreich, an American linguist and one of the founders of sociolinguistics, paid considerable attention to the concept of interference. In the final months of his life, Uriel Weinreich worked with students on an article about changes based on language diversity and field research, which led to the emergence of sociolinguistics. Weinreich was particularly interested in the interaction of languages he spoke (Russian, German, English, and others), which led him to study bilingualism and multilingualism. He believed that language is connected to society and therefore cannot be "isolated from it." This necessitates attention to linguistic, geographical, economic, social, and other factors. Weinreich's doctoral dissertation in 1949 laid the foundations for contact linguistics by examining bilingualism in Switzerland. Russian and Uzbek belong to different genetic language groups, which creates difficulties in learning Russian due to the peculiarities of its grammatical system and the influence of learners' native language. Comparative study of Russian and Uzbek phonetics helps prevent errors. Uzbek and Russian use different alphabets (Latin and Cyrillic), requiring dedicated phonetic training. The interconnection of the two languages in speech and grammar leads to skill transfer, known as "interference." Seven types of interference Выпуск журнала №-27 Часть–3_Июнь –2025 390 MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT are distinguished: phonetic, lexical, orthographic, punctuation-related, morphological, and syntactic [6]. Phonetic interference manifests in pronunciation and speech perception errors, resulting in an accent. Research on phonetic interference in Russian speech reveals discrepancies in the consonant systems of Russian and Uzbek. It is crucial to develop children's phonological awareness, particularly regarding hard and soft consonants. Special attention should be paid to mastering phonetically opposed sounds (phonemes) such as м-м', с-с', as well as the pronunciation of always-hard ([ц], [ш], [ж]) and always-soft ([ч'], [ш']) consonants. Interference may appear as hyperdifferentiation, where learners introduce features of their native language into Russian, such as a guttural tone in velar consonants [г], [к], [х] before front vowels. Primary and secondary school teachers should demonstrate the articulation of [г] and [г'], [к] and [к'], [х] and [х'], [п] and [п'], as well as plosives and affricates pronounced with aspiration. Progressive assimilation in learners' native languages may cause deviations from orthoepic norms, e.g., [проспа] instead of [прозбъ], [воксал] instead of [вокзал]. Lexical interference involves the mixing of linguistic units when languages come into contact. The concept of linguistic interference was developed