OVERCOMING GRAMMATICAL INTERFERENCE IN TEACHING PRESENT PERFECT AND PAST SIMPLE IN GRADE 10 KAZAKH SCHOOLS THROUGH DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Introduction. Teaching English grammar in Kazakh schools is complicated by structural differences between languages. One of the most persistent difficulties is distinguishing between the Present Perfect and Past Simple tenses. Even Grade 10 students with a relatively large vocabulary continue to make systematic errors when choosing between these forms. Traditional methods, such as rule explanation and substitution exercises, are often insufficient because they do not eliminate cross-linguistic interference. Digital educational resources (DER) provide new opportunities, as they make it possible to visualize abstract temporal concepts, present grammar in authentic contexts, and offer individualized practice. The aim of this article is to provide a theoretical justification for the use of DER to overcome interference when teaching Present Perfect and Past Simple in Grade 10 Kazakh classrooms.

1. Typical Errors and Their Causes

A study by Argynbayev A., Kabylbekova D., and Yaylaci Y, conducted in Almaty, identified the most frequent errors made by Kazakh learners of English grammar [1]. Among them is the systematic confusion between Present Perfect and Past Simple, including the use of Past Simple instead of Present Perfect (I saw this film already), the use of Present Perfect with past time markers (He has come yesterday), and the omission of the auxiliary verb have/has (She seen this film).

The main cause of these errors is grammatical interference, that is, the transfer of rules from the native language into the target language. In bilingual speech involving Kazakh, Russian, and English, such interference regularly occurs due to differences between language systems.

Nurgaliyev shows that in Kazakh the suffixes -ды/-ты, -ді/-ті can express meanings close to the Present Perfect, as they may indicate a connection with the present, while the suffixes -ған/-ген, -қан/-кен tend to express meanings closer to the Past Simple, referring to completed actions without present relevance. For example, мен осы қалада болғанмын (“I have been to this city”) refers to a past experience without a clear link to the present, whereas мен мұғалім болдым (“I became a teacher”) suggests a more recent action that may still be relevant.

However, as Zhumabay Zhakyp points out, there is no strict boundary between these forms in Kazakh [2]. The language does not clearly distinguish between an action with a present result and a completed past action. This semantic opposition, which is encoded in English through tense choice, is either not grammatically marked in Kazakh or is expressed lexically.

For this reason, an effective teaching approach should not be limited to practicing correct forms but should also address how learners conceptualize temporal relationships.

2. The Potential of Digital Educational Resources

The use of interactive methods significantly increases student engagement and improves the effectiveness of grammar skill development compared to traditional approaches [3]. Digital educational resources are particularly valuable in addressing grammatical interference because they combine visualization, contextualization, and guided practice.

They make it possible to represent abstract temporal relationships visually, which is especially important for explaining the difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple. An interactive timeline, for example, can illustrate Past Simple as an isolated point in the past, while Present Perfect can be shown as a connection between past events and the present moment.

At the same time, digital tools provide access to authentic communicative contexts. The use of films and video materials enables students to observe how grammatical structures function in natural speech, which helps them recognize and gradually overcome interference-related errors [1].

In addition, such resources support intensive and individualized practice. Interactive platforms like Wordwall, Quizlet, and LearningApps allow learners to complete multiple exercises at their own pace, receive immediate feedback, and correct mistakes without public exposure, which reduces anxiety and encourages more consistent practice.

3. Instructional Algorithm Using DER (Digital Educational Resources)

An effective approach to teaching Present Perfect and Past Simple in Grade 10 can be structured as a three-stage process that gradually develops conceptual understanding and procedural accuracy.

At the initial stage, the focus is placed on building a clear conceptual distinction between the two tenses. This can be achieved through the use of an interactive timeline, where the teacher presents pairs of situations and visually compares them, drawing on examples from Kazakh to make the contrast more accessible [4; 2].

The next stage involves observing the use of these tenses in context. Short video clips can be used to demonstrate how speakers choose between forms in real communication. Before watching, students may be asked to identify examples of each tense and explain the reasons behind the speaker’s choice.

The final stage is aimed at developing automaticity in tense selection. This is achieved through interactive exercises such as sorting sentences by tense and completing gaps using time markers like since, for, yesterday, last week, already, and ever. Students typically work independently for 10–15 minutes, and regular practice of this kind has been shown to improve grammatical accuracy [4].

4. Methodological Recommendations. To increase the effectiveness of instruction, it is important to explicitly address the causes of learner errors. Before beginning practice, teachers should demonstrate the differences between Kazakh and English tense systems using relevant examples, as understanding the source of difficulty can reduce anxiety and increase motivation.

It is also advisable to avoid combining multiple types of digital resources within a single lesson. Focusing on one type of activity at each stage helps maintain attention and prevents cognitive overload. The use of the native language can be beneficial at the stage of conceptual explanation, as it allows learners to grasp the underlying distinction more clearly. Once this understanding is established, instruction can gradually shift to English.

Finally, the duration of practice activities should be carefully controlled. Research and classroom experience suggest that 10–15 minutes of continuous work is optimal, while longer sessions may lead to fatigue and a decline in performance.

Conclusion. Developing the ability to distinguish between Present Perfect and Past Simple in Grade 10 Kazakh classrooms is a methodologically complex task due to grammatical interference. The Kazakh tense system differs significantly from that of English, particularly in the way it represents the relationship between past actions and the present, which leads to consistent learner errors. Digital educational resources provide a structured way to address this issue by combining conceptual visualization, contextual exposure, and guided practice. The use of interactive methods has been shown to improve the effectiveness of grammar learning and to support the reduction of interference-related errors.

The proposed three-stage model can be implemented in standard Kazakh classrooms and adapted for teaching other grammatical topics.