Problems of phonetic interference in teaching Russian phonetics to international students: solutions and overcoming

Introduction. The article addresses the pressing issue of teaching Russian phonetics to international students. The key issue is phonetic interference—the transfer of native language pronunciation skills to the target language.
The purpose of the research is to systematize, analyze, and summarize existing research, developments, and methods on this issue.
The research methods. A systems approach and general scientific methods were used in the research, namely, analysis, synthesis, generalization, and observation; and a comparative analysis of the phonetic systems of the Russian language and the students’ native languages.
The research materials. Data from experimental phonetic studies conducted at various language centers with the participation of international students of different nationalities.
The research results. It has been established that the main phonetic difficulties of international students are related to the pronunciation of specific Russian sounds that have no equivalents in their native languages, mastering the hard-soft system of consonants, and observing the patterns of voiced/ voiceless consonants. It has been found that effective phonetics instruction requires a combination of imitative and phonetic methods, with particular attention to conscious articulation. The need for visual demonstrations of the articulatory features of sounds using diagrams and drawings has been substantiated.
Discussion and conclusion. The study confirms the need for a comprehensive approach to teaching Russian phonetics to international students. The effectiveness of using digital technologies in teaching Russian phonetics, including online audio tutorials and multimedia libraries, has been demonstrated. The practical significance of the research lies in the fact that the generalized methodological recommendations and developments for solving specific problems, taking into account the specific features of the Russian phonetic system and the peculiarities of learners’ perception, can be used by teachers of Russian as a foreign language. This is due to the urgent need for international students to master the phonetic foundations of the Russian language in order to acquire the competence necessary for successful acquisition of vocabulary.

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