Key challenges of teaching foreign languages in terms of their mutual impact

Abstract

The article deals with the study of linguistic interference in the process of learning German as second foreign language after English. The works of educationalists and researchers dedicated to this issue have been analyzed. Nowadays, German language is considered to be an important educational component in higher educational institutions of Ukraine, which is caused by the prospects of its use for economic, cultural, and scientific purposes. When learning two foreign languages, the knowledge of the first foreign language affects the process of mastering the second one. This impact is defined as linguistic interference, which can be both positive and negative. Specificity of simultaneous (sequential) learning of German and English is determined by their close genetic relationship. This can be clearly seen at morphological, lexico-semantic, syntactic language levels. On the other hand, there are a lot of differences between these Germanic languages in terms of vocabulary and grammar rules. In particular, at the lexico-semantic language level, there are some problems connected with the correct use of the so-called «false friends of the translator». In different languages, these words and phrases have a similar or the same morphological structure and are sometimes pronounced in a similar way, but differ in terms of their semantics. As for syntactic level, linguistic interference is most common at the initial stage of learning the second foreign language. This is determined, in particular, by the fact that less time is usually given for its acquisition compared to the duration of learning the first foreign language. The above-mentioned factors cause difficulties at achieving a certain level of foreign language proficiency. The article provides a description of the types of linguistic interference, pointing to the ways to overcome its negative impact. In our opinion, a teacher should combine paying attention to common features of German and English, on the one hand, and emphasizing their distinctive features, on the other hand.