Velazquez's blog

False cognates are the Achille's heel for ESL students. For languages like Spanish and English, most of the words that look and sound the same do have the same meaning, making them an instinctive way to learn a new language. This is because the two languages share many of the same Latin and Greek roots. Spanish-speaking English Learners who grow accustomed to using their first language as a basis for learning English can start assuming that all words that sound the same also share the same meaning.

For those of you who missed out on our Part 1 post from two weeks ago, click here.

Cognates are a great resource for both English Learners and educators. Here are another 5 simple rules to help native Spanish speakers learn English. Please note that as is the case with every rule, there are exceptions. As such, teachers should be careful to remind students that the endings are meant to be guidelines to help them as they learn English.

Sounds too good to be true? It’s not – at least, not with the help of cognates, those same-root words that are an  English learner’s best friend. By learning a few simple rules, it is possible to learn a large quantity of new words very quickly. In fact, you will be amazed at how many words you already know!