Ways to Increase Students’ Vocabulary through Cognates

1. Ways to Increase Students’ Vocabularythrough Cognates Wallis 2005

2. English-Spanish cognates . . . provide a fundamental building block for students. Science, in particular, has many cognates associated with it, and the words often come in groups so that learning is easier. The opportunity to move between the inquiry-based activities and reading and writing also enhances students’ learning. Wallis 2005

3. Cognate Types • No shared cognate • False cognate (words that resemble each other, but do not share meaning) • Low-frequency English word that has a low- frequency Spanish cognate • High-frequency English word that has a low-frequency Spanish cognate • High-frequency English word that has a high-frequency Spanish cognate * • Low-frequency English word that high- frequency Spanish cognate * • * most important Wallis 2005

4. Benefits of Teaching Cognates • Enhanced vocabulary • Enhanced comprehension • Increased linguistic knowledge • Increased ability to converse and write Wallis 2005

5. Kinds of Activities • Create cognate (“sister” word) walls (similar to word walls—but with pairs). • Discuss nuances of words (In this story, is the girl pretty or elegant?). • Ask what words have in common (What do the words breakfast and snack have in common?”). • Ask how words are different (What is the difference between a lake and an ocean?). • Build semantic webs. • Use feature analysis charts. Wallis 2005

6. Use reading logs that link students’ entries to text elements. Then study the logs for possibilities for cognates. (qualities of characters, for example) • Use interactive read-aloud to increase awareness. List cognates as they arise in the reading. • Build prior knowledge conceptually, but also through vocabulary. • Use word study notebooks. • Study derivations. (example) Wallis 2005

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9. Category: Jungle Animals fur roars quick stripes eats meat Lion + + + - + Tiger + + + + + Elephant - - - - + Giraffe - - + + + Wallis 2005

10. List – Group - Label • Brainstorm and list all the words you can think of that relate to . • Reread your list and look for groups of words that are similar or have something in common with one another. • Circle like-things on your list with a color or use a code such as * or a . • Label the groups. The above example might be labeled as “Things Emitted from a Volcano.” Other labels for the words generated from the stimulus word “volcano” might include “Results of Volcanic Eruption,” “Hot Volcanic Parts,” and “Famous Volcanoes.” • Extend by creating a web or chart. Wallis 2005