LANGUAGE INTERFERENCE AND CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS HYPOTHESIS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

This article examines two pivotal concepts in foreign language teaching: language interference and the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH). Language interference arises when a learner’s first language (L1) affects their acquisition of a second language (L2), often resulting in errors at phonological, grammatical, lexical, and morphological levels. The CAH, introduced in the mid-20th century, offers a framework for anticipating these errors by systematically comparing L1 and L2. While the strong form of the hypothesis asserts that all errors can be predicted through contrastive analysis, the weak form takes a more nuanced approach, acknowledging the influence of additional factors in language learning. This article explores the pedagogical implications of these concepts, emphasizing how contrastive analysis can enhance teaching practices through error correction, curriculum development, and fostering learner awareness. It also addresses the limitations of the CAH, underscoring the importance of integrating it with other methods to achieve a more holistic understanding of second language acquisition.