Examples of Linguistic Interference in the Process of Learning Slovak as a Foreign Language in an Italian Environment

Abstract

The main focus of this paper is a linguistic interference between Italian and Slovak in groups of Italian students learning Slovak as a foreign language. The study discusses and explains the most common mistakes in Slovak made by Italian students, which are caused by their mother language. The author focuses on phonetical interference, syntactical interference, and some specific situations in a formal ambient when interference can lead to misunderstandings or humorous moments. The paper and its conclusions are based on the personal experience of the author, who was a lecturer of Slovak language at the University of Bologna in the 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 academic years, when she taught Italian students of Interpreting and Translation who studied Slovak as their third or fourth language. This study aims to name the most common linguistic problems which a lecturer of Slovak has to deal with when teaching Italian students, and it offers solutions for others on how to prevent these obstacles.