PHONETIC INTERFERENCE IN THE PRONUNCIATION OF ENGLISH LATIN COGNATES BY UKRAINIAN-SPEAKING STUDENTS AND STRATEGIES FOR ITS CORRECTION

Abstract

The article examines the specific features of phonetic interference in the pronunciation of English Latin cognates by Ukrainian-speaking students. The relevance of the study lies in the need for a systematic description of interference phenomena caused by the influence of the Ukrainian phonological system on the acquisition of English pronunciation. Particular attention is paid to a type of interference triggered by graphic similarity between Latin borrowings in Ukrainian and English, which activates the Ukrainian affricate /ts/ instead of the English fricative /s/. The paper provides a theoretical explanation of this pronunciation difficulty, outlining its historical and phonological background and clarifying the phonemic status of the [t]+[s] sequence in modern English. It is argued that affricated pronunciation in Latin-derived lexical items has no phonological basis in contemporary English and results from the transfer of L1 articulatory patterns. The article proposes a step-by-step model for overcoming graphically conditioned interference, including diagnostic assessment, development of phonological awareness, perceptual training, and gradual automation of correct articulation in semi-free speech contexts. A set of exercises aimed at establishing a stable distinction between the English fricative /s/ and the Ukrainian affricate /ts/ is described. The practical value of the paper lies in the systematization of this specific error type and the development of methodologically grounded strategies for its correction in English pronunciation teaching.