Interlanguage Theory as a Theoretical Basis for Error Diagnosis and Correction in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language

Abstract

This article examines the concept of interlanguage as a theoretical basis for diagnosing and correcting learners’ errors in linguodidactics. The study is relevant because learners’ speech should be examined not only in terms of its conformity to target-language norms, but also as evidence of a developing language system. Interlanguage is defined as a dynamic intermediate system that reflects the process of developing a learner’s second language competence. The aim of the article is to clarify the diagnostic and corrective potential of the interlanguage-based approach in teaching Russian as a foreign language. Particular attention is paid to foreign, Chinese, and Russian research traditions in the study of interlanguage, as well as to N. N. Rogoznaia’s concept, within which interference is interpreted as a phenomenon manifested at different levels of the interlanguage system. The article analyzes the classification of interferents, understood as interference-induced error units, including graphic, phonetic, grammatical, lexical, syntactic, prosodic, and pragmatic interferents. It is shown that an interlanguage-based approach makes it possible not only to identify learners’ errors, but also to determine their linguistic level, source, degree of stability, and appropriate methods of methodological correction. The article concludes that the interlanguage perspective can support more precise diagnostic and corrective strategies in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language.