The Effect of Cognates on vocabulary retention of Iranian bilingual EFL Students

Year 2015, Volume: 36 Issue: 3, 1211 - 1215, 13.05.2015

Muhammad Oveıdı Abbas Bayat

Abstract

Abstract. Vocabulary is one of the most important tools in second language learning process. It is important to know a good range of vocabulary in order to have good reading comprehension in a foreign language. In Addition, it is important to know strategies such as cognates, to have better vocabulary retention. For that reason, when people do not know a high range of vocabulary in the second language, or when people do not know the strategies (cognates), they face a problem to vocabulary retention. This fact encouraged the researcher to give implicit instruction on such strategies and on the words that are similar between languages and have the same meaning. The experimental group (n= 35) received cognate method as the treatment, whereas the control group (n= 35) received non-cognate method as the treatment. This study used three instruments, one works as a cognate test, a vocabulary pretest, and a vocabulary posttest. The data from this study indicated that students in experimental group (bilingual) significantly outperformed the students in control group in vocabulary learning.

Keywords

Cognate, Strategy, Bilingual

References

• Celce-Murcia, M. (2001). Teaching English as a second or foreign Language. (3rd Ed.).
• Boston: Heinle & Heinle. Cohen, A. D., (1990). Language Learning: Insights for Learners, Teachers, And Researchers. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle
• Harmer, J. (1991). The Practice of English Language Teaching. New York: Longman.
• Howarth, P. (1998a). Phraseology and Second Language Proficiency. Applied Linguistics 19(1). 24-44.
• Lewis, M. (1993). The Lexical Approach. Hove: LTP.
• McCarthy, M. (1990). Vocabulary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Nation, I.S.P. (1990). Teaching and learning vocabulary. New York: Newbury House.
• Nation, I.S.P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Nattinger, F. (1988). “Some Current Trends in Vocabulary Teaching” in Carter, R. and McCarthy, M. (1988) (Eds.): 62-|82.
• O’ Malley, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second Language cquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Palmer, F (1976). Semantics. Cambridge: CUP.
• Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Widdowson, H. G. 1989. “Knowledge of Language and Ability for Use”Applied Linguistics. 10/2: 10 128-137.