Võõrkõne

Võõrkõne is an Estonian linguistic term meaning “foreign speech.” It refers to speech produced in a language other than the speaker’s native language and is commonly discussed in contexts of second-language use, bilingual communication, and language contact.

Characteristics of võõrkõne include pronunciation influenced by the speaker’s first language (a foreign accent), lexical or syntactic transfer from the native language, calques or literal translations, and occasional code-switching or mixing of languages within an utterance. The phenomenon reflects ongoing interaction between multiple language systems in real communication and can vary in degree from minor interference to more noticeable non-native patterns.

In research and education, võõrkõne helps describe the processes and challenges of producing non-native speech, the dynamics of multilingual communities, and the social meanings attached to language choice and proficiency. It is distinct from fully fluent, native-like speech, emphasizing rather the presence of cross-language influence during production and comprehension.

Related concepts include language transfer, code-switching, bilingualism, and cross-linguistic influence. The study of võõrkõne intersects with phonology, syntax, vocabulary, and discourse, illustrating how multilingual speakers navigate multiple linguistic repertoires in real-world communication.