Journal Article

Cognate Instruction and Bilingual Students’ Improved Literacy Performance

García, Georgia Earnest, Guerrero‐Arias, Beatriz Eugenia, Sacco, Lena J.

2020

Overview

Spanish–English cognates (words from ancestrally related languages similar in appearance and meaning) are plentiful in students’ reading materials, but few researchers have documented elementary‐age bilingual (Spanish–English) students’ actual use of cognates. The authors drew from two qualitative research studies to show how bilingual students can be taught to use cognates to improve their spelling, writing, and reading. The third‐grade teacher's instruction included a cognate definition and examples, identification of the written similarities and differences in Spanish–English cognates, and the completion of cognate lessons related to the students’ English instruction on electricity. The fourth graders received cognate instruction to support their English reading comprehension. After instruction, most of the third graders used cognates for spelling and writing but not for reading, whereas most of the fourth graders used cognates to improve their English reading comprehension. Recommendations are made for how to teach cognates to bilingual students in bilingual, English‐only, and English as a second language classrooms.

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell,Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subject: 2‐Childhood / Academic achievement / Bilingual Students / Bilingual teaching materials / Bilingualism / Classrooms / Cognates / Cognates < Vocabulary / Comparative Analysis / Comprehension / Comprehension monitoring < Comprehension / Content literacy / Electricity / Elementary school students / English (Second Language) / English as a second language / English as a second language instruction / English for speakers of other languages < Language learners, First, second, etc / English language / English language learners / English learners / Grade 3 / Grade 4 / Immigrant students / Informational text < Strategies, methods, and materials / Instructional strategies / Instructional strategies; methods and materials / language (L1, L2, etc.) < Language learners / Language learners / Languages / Literacy / Nonfiction / Qualitative research / Qualitative < Research methodology / Reading / Reading Comprehension / Reading materials / Reading-writing relationship / Second Language Learning / Second language writing / Second‐language learning < Language learners / Second‐language reading < Language learners / Sociocultural < Theoretical perspectives / Spanish / Spanish language / Spelling / Spelling < Writing / Students / Teachers / Teaching / Teaching Methods / teaching strategies < Strategies, methods, and materials / Vocabulary / Vygotskian < Theoretical perspectives / Word meaning / Writing Skills