All Cognates are not Created Equal: Variation in Cognate Recognition and Applications for Second Language Acquisition

Silvia Aguinaga Echeverría

Authors

Silvia Aguinaga Echeverría Universidad de California, Davis

Abstract

Abstract

The similarities between cognates in first and second language suggest that these words would be easier to learn. However, this is not always the case; studies focusing on teaching cognates are few in number and have yielded contradictory results. Furthermore, the definition of «similarity’ with regard to cognates remains difficult to adequately define. An experiment with 39 native-English speakers was carried out with close attention to variation in cognate recognition. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) found significant variance in the data. This study demonstrates that not all cognates are recognized and processed in the same way by language learners. The pedagogical implications of these findings suggest that teachers should not assume that students will recognize all types of cognates. Therefore, it is important to include more activities that teach cognate recognition and the proper contexts in which they can be adapted.

Keywords: second language acquisition; vocabulary acquisition; cognate recognition; word frequency.

Resumen

Las similitudes entre cognados en una primera y segunda lengua sugieren que son un vocabulario fácil de aprender. Sin embargo, los estudios que se centran en la enseñanza de cognados son pocos y sus resultados, contradictorios. Asimismo, la definición de Â«similitudÂ» que se aplica a dichas palabras es difícil de precisar. Este artículo presenta un experimento con 39 estudiantes de ELE anglófonos y está centrado en la variación del reconocimiento de cognados. El análisis de los componentes principales (PCA) muestra una variación significativa en los resultados. Este estudio demuestra que los estudiantes no reconocen ni procesan todos los cognados de la misma manera. Las implicaciones pedagógicas de estos hallazgos sugieren que los profesores no deben asumir que los estudiantes reconocerán todo tipo de cognados y, por tanto, es importante incluir más actividades que enseñen cómo reconocerlos y los contextos apropiados en los que se pueden usar.

Palabras clave: adquisición de segundas lenguas; adquisición de vocabulario; reconocimiento de cognados; frecuencia de vocabulario

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