kontrasztív

Kontrasztív is a Hungarian adjective meaning contrastive, used especially in linguistics to refer to approaches that analyze differences and similarities between languages. In this sense, kontrasztív nyelvészet, or contrastive linguistics, aims to systematize how languages differ in phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicon, and discourse, and how these differences affect language use and learning.

A central concept is kontrasztív analízis (contrastive analysis), which emerged prominently in mid-20th-century applied linguistics, with Robert Lado and colleagues popularizing the idea that L1–L2 differences predict potential difficulties in second language acquisition. The method involves constructing parallel descriptions of two languages to identify areas of potential transfer, difficulty, or error, and it has influenced language teaching, material design, and assessment practices by highlighting where learners might struggle.

Critiques of the kontrasztív paradigm have grown over time. Critics argue that not all learner errors stem from L1 transfer, that learners can overcome predictable difficulties with adequate exposure, and that factors such as strategies, motivation, and universal grammar also play significant roles. Consequently, modern approaches often integrate contrastive analysis with error analysis, corpus-based studies, and usage-based research, using contrasts as a diagnostic tool rather than a definitive predictor of success or failure.

Beyond language teaching, kontrasztív analyses can be applied to translation studies, terminology work, and cross-language research, where systematic comparisons help clarify how linguistic systems encode meaning, structure information, and shape communicative acts.