by guest blogger Karen Nemeth EdM Cognates are pairs of words that sound alike and have the same meaning in two different languages. They are useful first steps in learning a new language. How Do Cognates Work? In English we say “elephant” and in Spanish we say “elefante.” English and Spanish speakers can easily make the connection between these cognates to learn and remember the animal’s name. In English, we say “frog” but in Spanish we say “rana.” Frog and rana are not cognates,............. CONTINUE READING

We only learn how to read once. This is true for all of us: monolingual, bilingual or multilingual. Once we figure out how literacy works, it is with us forever. The best part about bilingual children learning to read is that once they figure it out in one language, they can transfer their literacy to their other language(s)! It is a feat that can be mastered in leaps and bounds in any of a number of languages once the process is underway. As............. CONTINUE READING