A contrastive approach to English-German interference in teaching German as a second foreign language to Kazakh-speaking students

Abstract

The shift in the focus of attention of German language teachers to teaching German as a second foreign language in the universities of our country is due, as is known, to the language policy being pursued, on the one hand, and to the still unquenchable interest in the German language on the part of both students and teachers, on the other. The growing importance of effective methodologies in teaching German as a second foreign language has made research in this area particularly relevant today. This paper explores linguodidactic approaches to teaching German following English in classrooms where Kazakh is the language of instruction.

Drawing on practical teaching experience, the study outlines strategies to address language interference that learners commonly encounter across different types of speech activity. The article illustrates how prior knowledge of English, along with the influence of the native Kazakh language, can impact the acquisition of German as a second foreign language.

Specific instructional techniques are presented to demonstrate how language material can be introduced in a way that minimizes cross-linguistic interference. Emphasis is placed on recognizing and leveraging students’ existing linguistic background, including their previous foreign language learning experience, to facilitate more effective learning of the new language.