Comparative Method in Teaching the Ukrainian Grammar to Russian-speaking Foreigners

Abstract

The article deals with using the comparative method in teaching foreign languages. This method is based on the ideas of A.A. Reformatsky who stated the necessity of studying linguistic phenomena in synchrony, language analysis and analysis of each of its levels as a system, comparison of different language systems elements, identification of their differences on each level. The author cites modern interpretations of the interference concept, and presents definitions of the terms “transposition” and “transference”. Interference is understood here both as positive and negative transfer of linguistic phenomena from one’s mother tongue to a foreign language in the process of mastering the latter. Essential phenomena of interlinguistic interference that appears in the process of learning the Ukrainian grammar by Russian-speaking foreign students and impact the quality of their mastering Ukrainian are described. Interference processes that occur under influence of the Russian grammar when studying Ukrainian are analyzed at the noun, adjective, pronoun, numeral, and verb levels.

The article contains examples of common errors that Russian-speaking students make when studying the prepositional-case system and the aspect and tense system of the Ukrainian language. The author proposes principles of organizing teaching sessions aimed at prevention of transference negative effects that were implemented in her textbook “Ukrainian for Russian-speaking foreign students”. The author also raises the issues of development of methods to overcome negative interference when studying kindred languages; makes conclusion on the role of the application aspect of the native and studied languages comparative analysis to optimize the process of teaching Ukrainian to Russian-speaking foreign students. The article is intended for teaching method specialists, Ukrainian teachers working with Russian-speaking students, as well as students who study to be teachers of Ukrainian as a foreign language.