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ALLURE JOURNAL
Volume 03, No. 1, January 2023, pp. 56-63
DOI: [Link]
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Interference in a Language and Culture Communication

Elchin Gashimov*1
Moscow City University, Samara, Russia
elchgash@[Link] *1

Article History: Submission Accepted Published

December 13th, 2022 January 3rd, 2023 January 31st, 2023

ABSTRACT

International communication is one important aspect in a dialogue of culture and in a process of communication we
should concentrate in a problem of the interrelated phenomena of language and culture within the context of bilingual
communication. Language and culture interference are important aspects to be considered with regard to teaching of
plurilingual learners, whose communicative competence is formed on the basis of several linguistic and cultural
systems that interact with each other and exert mutual influence. The study described in detail how the interference
influenced language and culture when people communicate. Interference is an important aspect not only in linguistic,
not only in the method of teaching but also in culture. The findings brought the idea of Linguistic Interference which
includes 1) interference at the word and collocation level (lexical interference), 2) grammatical interference, 3)
syntactic interference, 3) interference in orthography. Further subtypes of Lexical Interference are 1) surface lexical
interference (false friends), 2) semantic interference, 3) idiomatic interference, 4) interference in collocation, 5)
cultural interference. And after pandemic era we practically have a new view of communication - Online
communication, that is defined as perceptual-verbal interaction connected with acts of cognition and creation of
meaning-forming systems, manifested in a whole set of principles, among which there are: 1) dialogueness and
communicability; 2) visual-perceptual experience; 3) interpersonal communication; 4) a tool for cross-cultural
dialogue; 5) a linguistic component.

Keywords: interference; language; culture; communication

INTRODUCTION

International communication is one important aspect in a dialogue of culture and in a process of

communication we should concentrate in a problem of the interrelated phenomena of language and
culture within the context of bilingual communication.
Language and culture interference are important aspect to be considered with regard to
teaching of plurilingual learners, whose communicative competence is formed on the basis of
several linguistic and cultural systems that interact with each other and exert mutual influence.
Really, in research on second language acquisition and language contact, the term interference

This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license.

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refers to the influence of one language (or variety) on another in the speech of bilinguals who use
both languages.
The influence of one language on another in the speech of bilinguals is relevant both to the
field of second language acquisition (where the interference from the learner's native language is
studied) and to the field of historical linguistics (where the effects of interference on language
change are studied). Language interference can be defined as a process in which one language
influences another and an individual is experiencing language transfer (Archvadze, 2012).
In the context of second language acquisition, interference may lead to either negative
transfer (transfer which results in non-target-like use of L2) or positive transfer (transfer resulting
in target-like use of L2). Interference occurs because the learner organizes the second language
data using his previous mother-tongue experience (Littlewood, 2002). Another study from Tedjo
et al (2022) also supports that students with better logical thinking ability seem to be more
successful in learning English as a foreign language.
Language transfer (also known as L1 interference, linguistic interference, and cross
linguistic influence) is most commonly discussed in the context of English language learning and
teaching, but it can occur in any situation when someone does not have a native-level command
of a language, as when translating into a second language. Language transfer is also a common
topic in bilingual child language acquisition as it occurs frequently in bilingual children especially
when one language is dominant. Language transfer is the incorporation of features from the L1
into the learner's knowledge system of the L2 (Ellis 1994).
Cross linguistic influence (CLI) refers to the different ways in which one language can
affect another within an individual speaker. It typically involves two languages that can affect one
another in a bilingual speaker. An example of CLI is the influence of Russian or Indonesian on a
Russian or Indonesian native speaker who is learning English or French or Spain, any language.
Less typically, it could also refer to an interaction between different dialects in the mind of a
monolingual speaker.
Cross linguistic influence can be observed across subsystems of languages including
pragmatics, semantics, syntax, morphology, phonology, phonetics, and orthography. Thus,
Interference is an important aspect not only in linguistic, not only in the method of teaching but
also in culture too. Communications are also the ways which people use to form relationships with
each other and understand each other's feelings:
Language and culture interference are important aspect to be considered with regard to
teaching of plurilingual learners, whose communicative competence is formed on the basis of
several linguistic and cultural systems that interact with each other and exert mutual influence.
Culture is the way of life, especially general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people at
a particular time. Culture is the customs, civilization, and achievements of a particular time or
people.
With the backdrop in mind, the study described in detail how the interference influenced
language and culture when people communicate. Therefore, the study brings up the idea of how
crucial language and culture are.

LITERATURE REVIEW

FIRST LANGUAGE INTERFERENCE

Interference is one of the reasons why students struggle to learn a second language. There are many
different causes for interference and a couple of reasons have been thoroughly researched. One of

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the reasons is that a student's native or first language (or L1) is not their first language (Bhela,
1999; Fewell, 2010; Galasso, 2002; Lim, 2010). Another source of interference is the student's
cultural background or norms. According to Brown (2000), interference between the first and
second language systems can be a barrier to second language acquisition. Galasso (2002)
attempted to determine how much a student's first language (L1) prepared a structure of how to
learn a language that could interfere with learning a second language in a research paper (L2).
The main reason they make mistakes when using the second language is that the
phonological systems of L1 and second language are very different. Linguistic interference may
also occur in any linguistic situation when L2 learner does not have a native-level command of a
language (Archvadze, 2012). Moreover, the cognitive experiences of the L1 may have an impact
on the second language's acquisition process. They lack practice using English, and they have a
very thick Javanese language in their daily lives. They also think that English pronunciation has
different in writing form which makes them think that English is a difficult language to learn as
foreign language (Nur Ardini, [Link]., 2022; Senowarsito & Ardini, 2019). While Hacket (2016)
stated that language interference has long been the subject of academic inquiry, interference of
cultural phenomena has received little attention, despite the widely accepted hypothesis that
cultural phenomena associated with different linguocultures interact and correlate in the same way
that language systems do.

INTERFERENCE FROM CULTURE

Language and culture are inextricably linked and have a profound impact on both verbal and
nonverbal communication (Kyprianides, n.d.). The author identifies four aspects of sociocultural
competence: social contextual factors, stylistic appropriateness factors, cultural factors, and
nonverbal communicative factors (Celce-Marcia, Dorneyi, & Thurred, 1995). Cultural
characteristics are very important because they put what students said into context.
The study of a foreign language allows students to become acquainted with another culture
not only through the expansion of language experiences, but also through the inclusion of social
and human factors. However, achieving a level of effective communication in a foreign language
does not have to be the sole concern of the language learner. Language teaching has to play a real
role in the education of learners by insisting on their perception and their attitude towards other
cultures, and towards theirs also. As a result, learning a foreign language would not be reduced to
the mere transmission of messages, as we see in classroom language, which is a language of
"repetition" (R. Mitchell and alii, 1981, p.66) and ignores the learner's imaginative and creative
side.
Mazari (2015) claimed that the study of foreign languages broadens one's linguistic
experience by allowing comparisons between different languages. It helps learners with their
personal education. Furthermore, foreign language teaching allows students to break free from the
constraints of their cultural environment and study another culture while taking into account
human and social factors. Language and culture are thus inextricably linked. As a result, when
students learn about a culture and how to use a language, they will be able to communicate with
people from that culture. From this vantage point, we will examine the perspectives of various
linguists on this topic.
METHODOLOGY

It was a descriptive qualitative study since it described in detail how the interference influenced
language and culture when people communicate. The study also brought up the idea of how crucial

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language and culture were. As stated by Cresswell (2018) that qualitative is an approach to
exploring human phenomena. In line with Cresswell, Lambert also expressed that the goal of
qualitative descriptive studies is to provide a comprehensive summary of specific events
experienced by individuals or groups of individuals in everyday terms (2012). The researcher tried
to describe his thought about how language and culture affected communication for Russian.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Do you know what is common between language and culture? Both are continuously changing!
For instance, the English language that we use today is a way different from the old English.
Similarly, you can identify several differences between the old western culture and the new one.
Both language and culture experience drastic changes over time. Therefore, you cannot
expect a 10-year-old child and a 70-year-old man to share an identical culture and exact the same
language even if they leave in the same locality.
The understanding of a culture can greatly help in learning any foreign language. If you are
interested in learning one or more foreign languages, you must study the culture of the respective
regions.
It is rightly said that ‘Action Speaks Louder than Words’. For effective communication with
a foreign audience, you must be aware of their cultural nuances. Thus, the culture and language
are intertwined and you cannot set them apart. If you want to improve your linguistic skills for a
second language, you must tackle both the culture and language side by side.
Of course, all of us have own view, have own understanding. But, what does it mean the
concept Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding in a communication, misunderstanding in our
relationship. Practically. This lexical word means the conflict of cultures, and conflict the
languages. What is the reason of the interference?
A lot of scientists already have described this aspect in linguistic but from grammatical
position. They described interference as a phenomenon inside the language and between the
languages. But only as an aspect in Grammar.
Nowadays in the 21-th century we describe this phenomenon practically everywhere.
Simple questions:
What is a communication between nations?
What is the main aim of studying languages?
What kind of method of teaching do we or you use in the studying process?
From the first questions above we clearly understood that sending and receiving information as
part of a global process that involves a variety of diverse domains, such as economics, education,
culture, commerce, science, technology, and politics.
And from the basis of the current problems, other questions regarding language acquisition
will arise, such as what is the main aim of studying languages. And maybe the statement from
Greiner will be the best answer that becoming knowledgeable about language should be the
primary focus of one's efforts to acquire a current foreign language in today's world. What was
once considered a by-product should now serve as the primary focus of one's efforts. While the
student is developing his linguistic intelligence, he can also learn other languages and other
subjects at the same time (Greiner, 1938).
Furthermore, other concerns may arise in order to suit the objectives of language acquisition,
such as what kind of method of teaching do we or you use in the studying process, because the use

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of learning strategies is critical because it allows the learner to construct a comprehensive and
systematic learning process while presenting learning information.
In the context of acquiring and learning a second (foreign) language, one of the factors that
are believed to build motivation are attitudes toward the language and culture of the people who
use that language (Gardner & Lambert, 1972). According to (Ravenscroft, 2003) there are three
facets of an attitude that are as follows: 1) the cognitive component, which refers to one's beliefs
about something object; 2) the affective component, which refers to the number of positive or
negative feelings that belong to a person against a particular object; and 3) the behavioral
component, which refers to the intention of one's behavior or refers to behavior actual to that
object.
Of course, the motivation is too. Without motivation we never understand a culture/cultures
or a language/ language. But interference is everywhere. Language interference refers to the effect
of a language learner's first language on their production of the language they are learning, or how
the learner's first language influences their second or foreign language. The influence can manifest
itself in any area of language (Bloomfield, 1983). “The dialogue of languages and culture” cannot
be productive out of respect for the cultural identity of other people and developed national
consciousness, outside of formation of communicative tolerance. If more people understood the
nature of the dialogue, there would be fewer problems in the world.
How can we minimize the interference? Only if we know the mental code of a new culture.
What is the study foreign language? We open a new world, a new culture. Without knowledge
culture we can’t understand a new language. And mental code, mentality influence in a process of
communication.
What does it mean a word an Interference?
Linguistic Interference
1. Interference at the word and collocation level (lexical interference)
2. Grammatical interference
3. Syntactic interference
4. Interference in orthography

Further subtypes of Lexical Interference:

1. Surface lexical interference (false friends)
2. Semantic interference
3. Idiomatic interference
4. Interference in collocation.
5. Cultural interference
Nowadays in the 21-th century we describe this phenomenon practically everywhere.
Cultural interference which occurs in those cases where the translator is unable to deal with
the cultural difference between the source language culture and the target language culture. The
process of exchanging information between individuals of various cultural backgrounds is referred
to as cross-cultural communication. It is essential to keep in mind that every culture has its own
distinct set of values, beliefs, and customs, all of which have the potential to influence how
information is interpreted. It is crucial, while interacting with someone from a different culture, to
be conscious of these distinctions and to adapt your communication style accordingly. Some
cultures, for instance, place a premium on formal language, whereas others prefer a more direct
approach. By taking the effort to comprehend the communication methods of various cultures, you
may ensure that your message is received as intended. In most cases there is no direct equivalent

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in the target language. The problem here consists in misunderstanding the culturally specific item.
7/ 11 is a chain of Taiwan stores that sell convenience items such as food, drinks and others. They
are open from7 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Sociological aspect considers the results of ethnic contacts. Sociolinguistic interference is
directly related to the functions of language and his social status in a multilingual society. The
degree of interference at the same time affect the social position of not only the language but also
the people using them.
As far as we know Language interference (also known as linguistic interference, cross-
linguistic interference or transfer) is the effect of second language learners' first language on their
production of the language they are learning. The effect can be on any aspect of language:
grammar, vocabulary, accent, spelling and so on. It is most often discussed as a source of errors
(negative transfer), although where the relevant feature of both languages is the same, it results in
correct language production (positive transfer). The greater the differences between the two
languages, the more negative the effects of interference are likely to be.
And after pandemic era we practically have a new view of communication - Online
communication, that is defined as perceptual-verbal interaction connected with acts of cognition
and creation of meaning-forming systems, manifested in a whole set of principles, among which
there are:
1) dialogueness and communicability;
2) visual-perceptual experience;
3) interpersonal communication;
4) a tool for cross-cultural dialogue;
5) a linguistic component.
Today the Internet is a special cognitive environment for self-organization and accumulation of
new knowledge as a reflection of reality and, therefore, a product of limitless social and cultural
traditions, establishing and building relationships between communicants. Thus, the Internet is a
unique social phenomenon that forms a different cognitive system, a system of value-oriented
attitudes. Researchers of the past, who laid the foundation for constructing the structure of the
paradigm of the theory of language contacts, mostly focused their attention exclusively on the
purely linguistic side of the phenomenon of interlingual interference. Despite this, being a process
that takes place in language and a result reflected in it, interlingual interference should not be
considered isolated from culture. Such an approach that takes into account the cultural factor will
not only correspond to the general trend of modern linguistics - the transition from internal
linguistics to external linguistics - but will also help shed light on practical issues that in this case
include effective international, interethnic [ɪntəˈeθnɪk] and intercultural communication on those
linguistic formations of global bilingualism, commonly referred to as a lingua franca. The
specificity of lingua franca languages is a special interference pattern, which allows us to talk
about the continuous and permanent transformation of languages, and therefore the ways of
conceptualizing the reality of the speakers of these languages. The "classic" lingua franca example
today is English as a lingua franca. It is this idiom that is most susceptible to the penetration of the
norms of other “components" of its languages in the process of their interference influence on each
other.
English, being the second language for most bilinguals, influences their first language(s). If
at the system levels this process finds certain obstacles due to the lack of a pronounced
consolidation of the norms of the second language (English) in comparison with the first one, and
denotative similarities, then at the lingua cultural level it proceeds more naturally due to the

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fundamental significance of the utterance [ˈʌtərəns] as a sign and a complete thought, and not a
system unit. Thus, in linguacultural terms, interfering norms are understood as cultural concepts
(models, categories, which, according to G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, are often metaphorized), fixed
in the language in the form of real or potential statements.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

From the findings and discussion in the preceding subtitle, the researcher wanted to highlight that
without culture, no language can exist. In studies of interlingual interference, attention should be
paid not only to the systemic, but also to the linguacultural level of the national language. The
convergence of languages leads to the fact that the metaphorized models and categories fixed in
them as norms are imported and exported, respectively, into the object language of interference
from the source language of interference. The above processes secure the status of a full- fledged
communicative code for the "classical" lingua franca, capable of performing the function of a
bearer of unique spiritual values of the human culture. Obviously, global bilingualism and online
communication play a significant role here, changing the form of interlingual interference.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is a publication for the article that had been presented in the Allure Conference held by English Study Program of
Universitas PGRI Semarang, Indonesia.

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