All Cognates are not Created EqualVariation in Cognate Recognition and Applications for Second Language Acquisition

  1. Aguinaga Echeverría, Silvia
Journal:
RAEL: revista electrónica de lingüística aplicada

ISSN: 1885-9089

Year of publication: 2017

Volume: 16

Issue: 1

Pages: 23-42

Type: Article

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More publications in: RAEL: revista electrónica de lingüística aplicada

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

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