In classrooms where many ELLs can already read Spanish, lists of Spanish -
English cognates (i.e., «sister words» with common origins and meanings across languages, telephono / telephone, sal / salt, estudiar / study) are posted on the wall for Spanish - speaking students» reference.
But a quick overview of one of the resources, «Using Spanish -
English Cognates as a Bridge,» will give you an idea of just how useful the site can be.
Explain the role that Spanish /
English cognates play in reading instruction (for English Language Learners)
Not exact matches
(The
English word «knee,» ancient Greek «gónu,» and Sanskrit «jānu» are all
cognates, descended from the Proto - Indo - European word «ǵénu.»)
There is «water» in
English, «wasser» in German, «vatten» in Swedish, all
cognates emanating from «wator» in proto - German.
However, the Old
English «hund» later became «hound» but eventually was replaced by «dog,» not a
cognate.
These are fun activities because many of the
English translations of the false
cognates are so different than the meanings that students expect.
One page with 30 false
cognates and 2 columns for students to complete: One with the
English word that the
cognate resembles, and one with the actual translation of the
English word that the
cognate resembles.
They also help students identify
cognates and words which may look similar to
English, but mean something different.
If the word is a
cognate, solicit prior knowledge to help students make the connection between the Spanish term and its
English counterpart.
To reduce the vocabulary overload on
English language learners, content - area teachers can implement two effective strategies: using
cognates to help students understand challenging
English academic vocabulary and activating prior knowledge.
Armed with a list of common
cognates from the Colorín Colorado website, teachers can help students use their knowledge of Spanish to improve their
English.
This resource helps teachers make use of the fact that approximately one - third of all words in
English have a related word, or
cognate, in Spanish.
The best Classics teachers in independent school demonstrate to their students the influence of classical cultures on today's world, from the building blocks the languages provided for modern grammar to the
cognates that inform the vocabulary of
English and the Romance languages.
Definitions for the target words were provided in both
English and Spanish, and students were taught to draw on their
cognate knowledge.
Finally, studies have indicated that when an
English language learner's first language shares
cognates with
English, first language knowledge can be helpful in science learning in
English.
Some ELLs have a primary language that shares
cognate or sister words with
English.
These pairs of
English and Spanish words are
cognates: observe / observar, anniversary / aniversario, respiración / respiration, and monument / monumento.
Some ELLs routinely recognize
cognates and use them as a resource for comprehending
English text.
Effectively teaching these students means incorporating their funds of knowledge into the curriculum, encouraging them to use their knowledge of their home language to develop academic
English, making them aware of content - area — related
cognates, providing graphic organizers, incorporating input from multiple modalities, and encouraging students to engage face - to - face with one another to develop
English literacy skills.
Promoted
English comprehension through phonemic awareness, the use of
cognates, sound - spelling