Cognates
(Similar Words Across Languages)
(Similar Words Across Languages)
True or False: All similar-looking words in two languages have the same meaning
False (false cognates exist!)
What does “café” mean?
Coffee / a coffee shop
Kimchi comes from which country?
Korea
What is the official language of Nigeria?
English
What lowers language learning barriers like anxiety?
Affective filter
What are words that look or sound similar and have the same meaning in different languages?
Cognate
This Spanish word sounds like “embarazada,” but it does NOT mean “embarrassed.” 😁😁what does it mean
pregnant! 🤰
True or False: Mandarin is the only language spoken in China.
False (There are hundreds of dialects, including Cantonese, Shanghainese, etc.)
which side do we read and write in Arabic
In Arabic, we write from right to left
This theorist, often called the father of modern linguistics, argued that language is innate (nativist).
Noam Chomsky
which one is an example of a cognate between English and Spanish?
family / familia or Family / Famille
family / familia
What is “already seen” in French
That weird feeling like “wait… didn’t this test already happen?
“Déjà vu” means…
How many days does the traditional Chinese New Year last?
15 days
the word Okra is commonly used in English and comes from
the word "okra" is derived from West Africa, specifically originating from the Igbo language of Nigeria.
A language teaching approach that forbids the use of the student's native language, requiring all instruction to occur in the target language.
The direct method or the natural method
The words in two languages that look or sound similar but have completely different meanings, leading to common errors for English learners.
False cognates (or "false friends")
What does the Spanish word “ropa” mean in English?
Clothes
It sounds like “rope,” but we don’t show up to class wearing rope instead of clothes 😄
This Korean game with white and black pebbles is similar to Chinese Chess (Baduk/Weiqi).
What is Go?
what is Alif (ا), Waw (و), and Yaa (ي).
the three long vowels in Arabic Alphabet
The "method" that focuses on teaching through interaction, using authentic materials and communicative tasks.
What is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)?