TEACHING SLOVAK AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TEACHING

European Science Education TEACHING SLOVAK AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TEACHING Denisa BALOGOVÁ Mgr., Faculty of Law, Institute of Foreign Language Legal Communication, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2816-9675 Abstract. This study focuses on teaching Slovak as a foreign language in the context of current societal challenges such as migration, globalization, and multicultural integration. The author analyses the theoretical foundations of language instruction, including multicultural education, psycholinguistics, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, and cognitive linguistics. She emphasises the importance of respecting students’ individual needs and applying communicative teaching methods. The text also addresses the specific features of the Slovak language, its historical development, grammatical characteristics, and the most common difficulties encountered by foreign learners. The practical part of the study presents proven teaching methods, such as reading aloud, the use of authentic materials, and contrastive approaches. The aim is to support language competence, intercultural understanding, and the personal development of students. Keywords: Slovak as a foreign language, Communicative teaching, Cognitive linguistics, Reading aloud, Lnguage acquisition. Introduction The Slovak language currently plays a key role in the integration of people in Slovakia within today’s globalized world, which includes migration and armed conflicts. Alongside English, it serves as an important means of communication in economic, educational, and political spheres. While Slovak is not a global lingua franca like English, it is strategically important in Central Europe. Knowledge of Slovak can facilitate business and diplomatic relations in the region. Teaching Slovak to foreigners is therefore gaining increasing importance. Learning a new language opens doors to understanding diverse cultures and traditions, fostering mutual respect among people.This situation creates a need for high-quality language instruction using digital tools in an online environment. Humanistic Approach and Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences in Teaching Slovak as a Foreign Language One of the aims of quality education is a pedagogical process focused on value-based attitudes and the purposeful development of personality Zelina (2004, p. 31). An essential prerequisite for achieving optimal results European Science Education in teaching Slovak to foreigners is adherence to the principles of multicultural education. According to Zelina (2004, p. 196), education for multiculturalism means: respecting other cultures and their differences while maintaining reflection on the identity of one’s own culture; defining otherness must not violate fundamental principles of ethics and human rights; the boundaries of non-violation are primarily set by international conventions and the rights of children and individuals; harmonizing explicit and implicit culture of the individual, aiming not at contradictory unity but at respecting the creation of a megaculture in dichotomy with personal, national, ethnic, or other partial cultures. We believe that such an approach to teaching enriches not only language competence but also full integration and the development of a globally aware individual. One of the means of achieving educational goals in teaching Slovak to foreigners is a calm and safe environment with the application of psycholinguistic tools and respect for students’ individual attitudes. In this context, we would like to draw attention to Professor Gabriela Lojová. She is one of the most prominent figures in foreign language didactics, focusing on the application of psycholinguistic tools and respect for individual attitudes in teaching. In her work, she emphasizes the development of humanistic psychology, which shifted attention more to the learner and their intrapsychic processes. This led to the emergence of a learner-centered approach, which influenced not only the teacher-student relationship but also the entire teaching process, including the selection of content, teaching methods, techniques, activities, and classroom interactions (Lojová, 2017, p. 29). The author summarized and explained possible foundations for foreign language teaching based on Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (Lojová, 2017, pp. 177–179). Gardner’s theory is an advantageous way to increase motivation and improve understanding and application of knowledge in teaching, as well as internalizing and using language skills. It is also a means of integrating into active and meaningful life. This theory is highly relevant for teaching Slovak as a foreign language. Teachers should identify students’ dominant intelligences and adapt instruction accordingly. Teaching should be multimodal. It could combe spoken word, movement, visual elements, music, collaboration, etc. The goal is to activate various types of intelligences, thereby increasing motivation, comprehension, and long - term language acquisition. In general, Gardner’s theory of intelligences, as presented in his book Dimensions of Thinking: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (2018), is based on the idea that intelligence is not a single ability that can be measured by one number (e.g., IQ), but that there are several relatively independent types of intelligence that manifest in different degrees in each individual (Howard Gardner, 2018). The Central European Character of Slovak and Its Importance in Teaching as a Foreign Language Slovak as a national language holds a specific position not only within the group of Slavic languages but also in the broader Central European context. According to Krupa, it is an internally structured language that belongs not only to the group of West Slavic languages but also to the wider European Science Education Central European area, which also includes Czech (Krupa, 1993, p. 44). This view is supported by Krajčovič, who speaks of the “central” position of Slovak. Although it belongs to the West Slavic languages, it exhibits certain common features with South Slavic and East Slavic languages (Krajčovič, 1975, p. 144). According to Pekarovičová, Slovak as a national language primarily fulfills communicative and national  integration functions (Jana Pekarovičová, 2022, p. 11). Slovak as a means of everyday communication implies what teaching should: emphasize speaking and understanding in real-life situations; use authentic materials (e.g., dialogues, media, forms); and develop functional literacy. It is the ability to handle tasks at offices, in shops, at the doctor’s, etc. The national-integration function is reflected in teaching through fostering understanding of cultural norms and values, developing intercultural competences, and guiding learners toward identification with the new social and cultural environment. From the perspective of linguistic openness and contact with neighboring languages, Buzássyová’s view is also important. She characterizes Slovak as a Central European language with a relatively high degree of openness to internationalisms and a neutral position compared to other languages in the region. This openness is evident in linguistic practice, especially in the area of lexis and semantics (Buzássyová, K. 1997, p. 69). Processes of language contact and their implications for teaching Slovak to foreigners are described in detail by Orgoňová, who distinguishes interference, transference, and integration as the basic mechanisms through which foreign-language elements adopt the Slovak language system. These processes are particularly significant in teaching Slovak as a foreign language, where they naturally occur in students’ speech (Orgoňová, O. 1993, p. 78). Finally, Pekarovičová points out that language contacts and their consequences cannot be understood in isolation as they also reflect historical and social realities and intercultural connections arising from shared history and territorial-administrative development of the region (Pekarovičová, J. 2022, p. 11). One of the most important components in teaching Slovak as a foreign language is respecting the morphological characteristics of Slovak. As Pekarovičová states, Slovak is a language of the inflectional type, in which elements of agglutinative, analytic, introflexive, and polysynthetic types of languages are applied to varying degrees. According to the author, the most distinctive features of Slovak morphology include: a) Slovak does not have a dual (except for remnants such as oči/očú, uši/ušú with plural meaning); b) It has six cases—in standard Slovak, there is no separate vocative form (except for remnants within masculine nouns such as otče, pane, synku, priateľu); addressing is done using the nominative; c) Unification of verb endings:  ť as the single infinitive ending,  m as the only ending in the 1st person singular present tense, European Science Education  li as the common ending for the 3rd person plural past tense in all genders; d) Application of the category of animacy in the declension of masculine nouns; e) Use of neutralization and alternation; f) Softness correlation of declensional endings; g) Application of the rhythmic law. The unification of verb endings can be considered a significant aid in explaining Slovak grammar, as it greatly simplifies the acquisition of Slovak grammar. Foreign learners identify the most problematic areas of Slovak grammar as: a) Gender and the application of animacy in masculine declension; b) Consistent application of the category of number, singularia and pluraria tantum; c) Declension. It is the declensional system, direct and oblique cases; d) Use of prepositions; e) Softness correlation of declensional endings; f) Conjugation of irregular verbs and the use of modal verbs; g) The category of verbal aspect. It means determination, formation, meaning; h) Application of neutralization and alternation. It means linking phonological and morphological levels (ibid, p. 44). Novák (1984) notes that the inventory of Slovak sounds, characterized by specific properties and special phonemes (the vowel ä, the existence of diphthongs, syllabic sonorants r, ŕ, l, ĺ, and softness and voicing correlations), contributes to the perception among some non-Slovak students that Slovak is a difficult language. Nevertheless, the author asserts that Slovak is a relatively simple and regular language with a relatively straightforward phonological system (Novák Ľ., 1984, pp. 389–411). From these perspectives, teaching Slovak to foreigners should: reflect the linguistic openness and contact nature of Slovak; consider interlingual influences and treat them as a natural part of learning; promote intercultural understanding and historical awareness; and use contrastive approaches when comparing Slovak with other languages (e.g., Czech, Polish, Russian). Linguodidactic Foundations and the Communicative Approach in Teaching Slovak to Foreigners Pekarovičová emphasizes that in defining Slovak as a foreign language, Slovak linguodidactic theory most often applies Helbig’s theory of the relationship between the mother tongue and the foreign language (1975). In this context, she also recalls Baláž’s distinction (1985) between “awareness grammar” for teaching the mother tongue and “mediating grammar” intended for foreigners who acquire language knowledge in unnatural conditions (ibid, 2022, p. 23). In his work Zur Theorie der Lexik und Grammatik im Fremdsprachenunterricht, Helbig elaborates on the concept of pedagogical grammar and the contrastive approach between the mother tongue and the foreign language. He focuses on how language is learned as a system and how this system adapts to the needs of the foreign European Science Education language learner. This study forms the basis for the later development of the so-called functional-communicative approach and interference analysis, which are also applied in Slovak language didactics, especially in teaching Slovak as a foreign language. In this regard, Dolník states that in line with current linguodidactic trends, a pragmatic aspect of language acquisition and presentation is increasingly promoted, shifting attention from a structural-systemic approach to a socio-communicative approach to the content taught. This prioritizes the sphere of language use in social contexts with regard to its specific users (Dolník, 2000). In the context of Slovak language education for foreigners, Pekarovičová implements the communicative approach. According to her, the main goal of this concept is the fastest possible acquisition of basic language skills through communicative models representing potential communication situations. Especially in the initial phase, greater attention is paid to presenting oral texts and practicing speaking, with the gradual acquisition of the lexical and grammatical subsystems of Slovak, which form the basis of linguistic knowledge (Jana Pekarovičová, 2022, p. 24). This approach, based on the interconnection of sociolinguistics—which provides data on the real functioning of language—and pragmatic systemic linguistics—which reveals intra-linguistic structures and processes and explains their connection with sociolinguistic data—is fully utilized in the modern linguodidactic concept of Slovak as a foreign language (ibid, p. 24). In the process of foreign language teaching, it is also necessary to mention the importance of respecting students’ individual competences. In Slovakia, this area has been addressed by authors such as Gabriela Lojová, Miron Zelina, Richard Repka, Peter Gavora, and Adriana Pčolinská. Pčolinská (2009) underlines the principles of communicative teaching, which emphasize: practical use of the language in real-life situations, development of all language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), interaction between participants in communication, and authenticity of language input. In the context of Slovak for foreigners, this means that teaching should be functional, situational, and oriented toward the learner’s needs. The author presents her own dynamic model of speech production, which integrates: linguistic aspects (grammar, vocabulary), social and pragmatic factors (purpose of communication, context, relationships between speakers), and mental processes (planning, formulation, articulation). The Cognitive Aspect in Slovak Linguodidactics Cognitive linguistics currently represents an indispensable part of foreign language didactics, including the didactics of Slovak as a foreign language. Schwarzová describes it as a branch of cognitive science that deals with the description and explanation of mental structures and processes of human language (Schwarzová, 2009, p. 5). From the perspective of cognitive linguistics, Hádková offers an interesting approach to foreign language teaching. According to her, the main goal of language education is to achieve communicative success for the learner. It is the ability to communicate effectively in a set of situations and roles for which the learner wants to prepare and needs to be prepared European Science Education (Hádková, 2010, p. 214). Language teaching is therefore understood as a deliberate, guided, and purposeful process aimed at expanding the learner’s initial knowledge and experiential base. The ideal scope of this quantitative and qualitative transformatio, the goal of teaching, is determined by anticipating the conditions for communicative success. This is achieved by generalizing the currently understood communicative competence in projected (expected) communicative situations (ibid, p. 215). Hádková emphasizes that the transformation of the linguistic worldview  that is, the transition from the initial state (anchored in the mother tongue) to the target state (corresponding to the target language), can only be successful and effective if it takes into account the learner’s original linguistic worldview. In other words, teaching should be based on how the learner perceives and conceptualizes the world through their mother tongue (Hádková, 2010, p. 217). The learner enters the process of acquiring a foreign language as a bearer of a specific way of thinking, categorization, and expression, shaped by their first language. The aim of teaching is therefore not only to acquire new linguistic means but also to transform the original linguistic worldview toward that typical of the target language. This transformation, however, cannot be mechanical. It must be based on understanding the learner’s existing knowledge and mental structures. Even if the learner’s mother tongue is not directly present in teaching, for example, because the teacher uses only the target language or a mediating language (such as English), its influence is constantly present. As Komenský reminds us, the mother tongue continually “imposes itself on the mind” and tends to influence the processing of new linguistic stimuli, as if it were a universal norm (Komenský J.A., 1964, p. 95). In the context of teaching Slovak to foreigners, English plays an important role as a mediating language, especially for students who already have a foundation in it. As the lingua franca of today, English provides a cognitive framework that can facilitate understanding of Slovak grammatical and semantic structures. This creates a triangle of language influences: the learner’s mother tongue – English - Slovak. This model requires a sensitive approach to language transfer, contrastive awareness, and support for language autonomy. Hádková builds on this idea by stating that if we accept language as an integral part of cognition, then we can explain differences in teaching as a consequence of the process of balancing between the initial and target states of the linguistic worldview (Hádková, 2010, p. 218). Integration of Grammar and Communicative Methods in Teaching Slovak to Foreigners Grammar teaching is considered one of the main pillars of Slovak language instruction for foreigners. Repka defines grammatical competence in a broader sense, i.e., as linguistic competence, which includes not only grammar (morphology, syntax) but also lexicology and phonetics/phonology, including orthography. It is the knowledge of the code, whether in a receptive or productive sense. According to the author, for example, knowledge of phonetics/phonology affects the level of listening comprehension and speaking, knowledge of orthography affects the level of European Science Education written expression, and knowledge of grammar and vocabulary relates to the quality of mastering all four communicative skills (Richard Repka, 1997, p. 48). For the fastest acquisition of pragmatic linguistic competence and efficiency in the learning process at the university level, Pekarovičová states that the best approach is a synthesis of cognitive and communicative methods aimed at systematically presenting grammar based on communicative needs and the educational goal at a given stage of teaching. The core of language preparation for foreigners is mastering the four target skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing), components of comprehensive communicative competence, with regard to communication partners (who communicates, social roles), the communicative situation (where and when the event takes place), the subject of communication (content, topic), the communicative intention (what speech act such as information, request, appeal), and the communicative medium (how/in what form communication occurs) (Pekarovičová, 2022, p. 146). In teaching Slovak to foreigners, we focused on addressing the most common grammatical problems identified by students as challenging. As a basic approach, we used a combination of the grammar-translation method and the direct audiolingual method, using English as the mediating language. This choice proved effective, especially for students who already had a foundation in English. At the same time, we emphasized communicative teaching, which integrates all four language skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Within this approach, the technique of reading aloud proved to be particularly effective, and we consider it one of the most efficient methods for acquiring Slovak. A key element of successful teaching is also the selection of appropriate teaching materials. In our practice, the textbook Krížom krážom (levels A1–B2) has proven effective, offering numerous practical exercises based on authentic communicative situations. This material allows for practicing all language skills in accordance with the principles of communicative teaching while supporting the student’s active involvement in the learning process. We paid special attention to combining loud and silent reading with comprehension, inspired by Peter Gavora’s approach. According to Gavora (2009), reading aloud represents an important tool for developing text comprehension because it activates several language processes - from visual decoding through phonological realization to semantic processing. In teaching Slovak as a foreign language, this technique has particular significance: it helps students improve pronunciation, intonation, and fluency, while also supporting the understanding of grammatical structures and semantic relationships in the text. Thus, reading aloud serves not only as a practice tool but also as a diagnostic and didactic instrument that enables the teacher to respond purposefully to the students’ language needs. This technique contributed not only to faster acquisition of language structures but also to increased accuracy of expression and psychological resilience of students. We see it as a tool that supports not only linguistic but also personal growth of learners. European Science Education An example of successful application of this methodology is a student from Ukraine who came to Slovakia with minimal knowledge of Slovak. After completing a course based on the above principles, her performance in Slovak improved significantly, and she also became more confident and communicative in relation to her peers. Conclusion Teaching Slovak as a foreign language requires a comprehensive, flexible, and student-centered approach. It is essential to respect students’ individual language competencies, cultural backgrounds, and dominant intelligences. Effective instruction should combine cognitive and communicative methods, with grammar taught in the context of real-life communication situations. Proven tools include reading aloud, authentic materials, and multimodal activities. The mediating language, especially English, also plays a significant role, along with conscious work on language transfer. 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