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Thinking about language learning . . .On your paper make three or four columns.
At the top of each column, list a language with which you’re only slightly familiar (one you haven’t studied).
Jot down any words or phrases you know—greetings, foods, musical terms, song titles, etc.
Beside each word or phrase, write how or where you learned it.For example:
blitzkrieg--elementary school Social Studies bookauf wiedersehen--Lawrence Welk show
gnocchi--Italian restaurantTurn and talk with someone near you (or reflect and write)
about any observations you have.
Number your paper from 1 to 3.You’re about to see three words.
Write each word.Beside each word put the
● part of speech, ● number of syllables, and
● definition.
pared
dame
red
1. pared2. dame
3. redpart of speech,
number of syllables, definition
We’ll be talking more about vowel sounds later.
In English words spelled the same can have different sounds
(project, produce, polish, etc.)What other examples of homographs
can you think of (in English)—words that are spelled the same
but pronounced differently?
“All writing systems represent spoken languages, a universal with consequences for reading
processes. . . reading universally requires the reader to make links to language at the phonological and morphemic levels.”
Writing systems encode spoken language; they do not directly encode meaning.
Learning how to read involves learning how one’s writing system encodes one’s spoken
language (Perfetti, 2003, p. 3).
Reading instruction is much more complex that many would imagine. Prater (2009) mentions
five instructional variables that are “potentially critical” for effective instruction. One of those
variables is “strategic use of native language for support and clarification” (p. 609). She also
describes strategies good readers use. One of those strategies is to “apply various forms of
background knowledge including knowledge of language (English and their heritage language)”
(p. 609).
“English language learners use cognates to their advantage, monitor their
comprehension, use metacognitive strategies, apply background knowledge and schema to assist in understanding
texts, and comprehend differently depending on the text structure”
(Prater, 2009, p. 608).
When assessing reading comprehension, is oral fluency (conversational ability in
English) being assessed or are we actually measuring children’s reading abilities?
Before we think about English and Spanish specifically, let’s consider a quote from a book called Learning Is a Verb (Reynolds).
We see with our mind . . . Part of what we see is determined by what
we already think (p. 47).
Transparent and Opaque LanguagesTransparent languages have a close
grapheme to phoneme correspondence. Spanish is very transparent—
each vowel has only one sound. English is quite opaque. Each vowel may
have several sounds (or be silent).
Spelling (Encoding)(Onomatopoeia)
Dutch = Boe/MoeFinnish = Ammuu
French = MeuhJapanese = Mau Mau
Urdu = Baeh
http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Lifestyle/Family-Fun/13-Animal-Noises-Translated.html
http://www.quack-project.com/table.cgi
Arabic = Haw HawFrench = Ouah OuahSpanish = Gua GuaSwedish = Vov VovRussian = Gav Gav
Dutch = I-AFrench = HihanHebrew = Yi-Ah
Icelandic = E-Haw HawTurkish = A-Iiii A-Iiii
Danish = Rap-RapFrench = Coin CoinGreek = Pa-Pa-Pa
Russian = Krya KryaSpanish = Cúa Cúa
Hungarian = Nyihaha NyihahaJapanese = Hi-HiinKorean = Hee-HingRussian = I-Go-Go
Swedish = Iihahaha
Dutch = Oe HoeFinnish = Huhuu
French = Hou HouRussian = Uh Uh UhTurkish = Uuu Uuu
Dutch = Knor KnorFrench = Groin Groin
German = GrunzJapanese = Boo BooRussian = Hrgu Hrgu
Chinese = Go-Geh-Goh-GohDanish = Kykyliky
Korean = Coo-Koo-Ri-KooSpanish = Quiquiriqui or Kikiriki
Turkish = U Uru Uuu
German = ZichenHungarian = Sz-Sz
Italian = HshsNorwegian = Hvese
Turkish = Tiss
Belgium = Irka Kloek KloekFrench = Glou Glou Greek = Glou GlouSpanish = Clou Clou Turkish = Glu Glu
English and Spanish
How are the alphabets alike?How are the alphabets different?
Think about what you know already.Recall what you teach (or what you were taught)
about consonants and vowels.
What similarities do you anticipate?
Spanish, like English, has five vowels—a, e, i, o, and u.
However, in Spanish each vowel has only one sound.
In Spanish there are not short and long vowel sounds as there are in English.
Think about Spanish words you know that include the letter a.
mamápapácasa
manzanablanca
What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?
In Spanish words, the a is always pronounced like the ah in father.
Practice saying the following words. taza
mapa plaza vaca rana
Think about Spanish words you know that include the letter e.
mesacabezaverde
terceraelefante
What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?
In Spanish words, the e is always pronounced like the short e sound in egg.
Practice saying the following words.escuela
estáeco
enchilada
Think about Spanish words you might know that include the letter i.
iglesiaaquí
What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?
In Spanish words, the i is always pronounced like the long e in sleep.
Practice saying the following words.bicicleta
ciclosiglo
situación
Think about Spanish words you know that include the letter o.
ropatomate
bocafrijoles
What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?
In Spanish words, the o is always pronounced like the long o in hope.
Practice saying the following words.sopacoco
hombroboca
Think about Spanish words you know that include the letter u.
frutajugo
What conclusions can you draw,
or what can you infer?
In Spanish words, the u is always pronounced like the oo in food.
Practice saying the following words. unidos útiles
Keep in mind that in Spanish there is no distinction between
the vowel’s name and the sound it makes.
In English we may say that a long vowel says its name. Latino children may be confused
by this concept.
Spanish Alphabeta h ñ ub i o vc j p wch k q xd l r y
e ll rr z f m s ……….
g n t ………………….
The Spanish alphabet has four letters that the English alphabet does not have.
Those letters are:
ch (pronounced like the beginning of check)ll (pronounced like the letter y)
ñ (pronounced like ny)rr (pronounced with a trill— “rolling” the r)
Now we’ll look at several letters of the Spanish alphabet (in order) so that you can become familiar with nuances. Some of the patterns will be similar to what you would expect from English.
For example: c before a, o, and u makes the hard (k) sound;
c before e or i makes the s sound (like celery or city).
c before a, o, or u has a hard (k) sound (like cat, coat, and cut)
c before e or o has the s sound (like cent or city)
To make the hard (k) sound before e or i, the spelling is
quequi
In Spanish the word que often means “what.”
¿Qué color prefieres?¿Qué te pasa?
The syllable qui appears in the word meaning “here”–aquí. Aquí está la mesa.
The syllable qui also appears in the word meaning “who”—quien. ¿Quién es tu amigo?
g before a, o, or u has a hard sound (like game, goat, or gum)
g before e or i is pronounced like an h
To make the hard g sound before e or i, the spelling is
guegui
In Spanish the syllable gue appears in the word guerra.
The name Guillermo is an example including the syllable gui.
In order to pronounce the syllable “gwe,” the spelling has to be güe (for example, vergüenza).
The syllable güi is pronounced “gwee.”
The letter h in Spanish is always silent.
The letter j in Spanish is pronounced like an h. For example: José, Juan, jefe, jirafa
The letter ll in Spanish is pronounced like a y.
For example: llamar (means “to call”)¿Cómo te llamas? means “What is your name? (Literal meaning is “How do you call yourself?)
Other words with ll include:amarillo (yellow)cuchillo (knife)calle (street)
Practice pronouncing each word.
The ñ in Spanish is a separate letter of the alphabet. It is pronounced like ny.
For example:niño (child or boy)
Nuñezpequeño (small)
.
The q in Spanish appears only before u (not before a, e, i, or o).
An r at the beginning of a word is “rolled.”
The rr is a separate letter of the alphabet. It is “rolled.”
For example, ferrocarril means “train.”
Accent RulesHow do you know where to place the emphasis—on which syllable to place the accent—when
pronouncing words in Spanish?The rules are relatively simple
(with no exceptions).If a word ends in a vowel, n, or s, the accent is
on the next-to-the-last syllable.
Practice pronouncing several words that end with a vowel, n, or s.
Remember to place the emphasis on the next-to-the-last syllable.
casa hojas rojo blancosonidos gatos agua pueblo
If a word ends in a consonant other than n or s, the accent is on the last syllable.
Practice pronouncing several words that end with a consonant other than n or s. Remember to place the emphasis
on the last syllable.pared ciudad estar comer
If a word does not follow these two rules, the accent mark must be written.
For example:lápiz nación águila albóndigas
Practice pronouncing each of these words. Notice why each word has a written accent mark.
(Where would the accent be if the accent mark did not appear?)
PluralsPlurals in Spanish are similar to plurals in English.
If a word ends in a vowel,the plural is formed by adding s.
If a word ends in a consonant, the plural is formed by adding es.
PluralsPractice making each of these Spanish nouns plural.
casagato
pájarooso
PluralsPractice making each of these Spanish nouns
plural (remember to add es).ciudadpared
función (Note: when you make función plural, it will no
longer need the written accent mark—funciones.)
ArticlesIn English we have only one definite article—
the. In Spanish there are four: el, la, los, and las
(masculine and feminine, singular and plural).
ArticlesIn English we have two indefinite articles—
a and an. In Spanish to avoid putting two vowels together (a similar construction to our using “an”), the masculine singular article is used
(even though the word is feminine). For example: to avoid saying la agua, Latinos say
el agua. To avoid saying la águila, they say el águila. This practice can help in explaining our
use of an before a noun beginning with a vowel.)
Nuances or Challenges to Keep in Mind1. What children do: Confuse Sounds
b and vChildren have difficulty distinguishing
between these two sounds. Why: In Spanish both b and v are
pronounced the same. What to do: Children will need to look at
your mouth as you emphasize the difference. They may benefit from looking in a mirror while
they make the sounds.
b and vGuide children to put their lips together
when pronouncing the b. Show children how to put their upper teeth
on their lower lip to pronounce the v. These sounds are especially important
for the months.
b and vIn Spanish many of the months are
similar to the months in English; however, the pronunciation of the b and v
will be challenging for some students. You may use songs, raps, or rhymes
to practice.
January – eneroFebruary – febrero
March – marzoApril – abrilMay – mayoJune – junioJuly – julio
August – agostoSeptember – septiembre
October – octubreNovember – noviembreDecember - diciembre
For example, you can sing (in English and then in Spanish—
to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”)
Children repeat each phrase after you:Today is Wednesday. (children repeat)
February 8th, (children repeat)Two thousand twelve, (children repeat)
Is the date. (children repeat)
For example, you can sing (in English and then in Spanish—
to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”)
Children repeat each phrase after you:Hoy es miércoles. (children repeat)
El ocho de febrero, (children repeat)Dos mil doce, (children repeat)
Es la fecha. (children repeat)
Nuances or Challenges to Keep in MindWhat children do: Confuse Sounds
b and pOne of my students confused bush/push,
bet/pet, bull/pull, etc.What to do: To practice this distinction, hold a
small strip of paper vertically in front of your mouth. When you are pronouncing a word beginning with p,
air will make the paper move.
b and pA child can hold the paper when saying
the word. If the paper moves, p is needed. If the paper does not move,
the consonant is a b.
(I had thought the student was “flipping the letter”—the way students do with magnetic letters. However, the issue was not the appearance of the letters themselves but
distinguishing between the two sounds.)
Nuances or Challenges to Keep in MindWhat children do: Confuse Sounds
d and thWhy: In Spanish the d and th are almost
interchangeable. What to do: You may need to
overemphasize the pronunciation of each of these sounds.
d and th When you show a child a particular
word, such as think, suggest that the child “take a picture of the word” in his mind.
Encourage children to remember what the word looks like in books they read.
d and th
Guide children to look at you while you pronounce a word beginning with d.
A child may benefit from using a mirror to check the position of his mouth, lips, and tongue when producing the sound.
Guide the student to place his tongue between his upper and lower front teeth when making the th sound (as in think).
Nuances or Challenges to Keep in MindWhat children do: Confuse Sounds
dr and jrWhen children are writing, they may begin
dr words (such as drink, draw, dragon) with jr. Why: The production and sounds are quite
similar. What to do: Guide children to watch your face when you pronounce dr words.
(Emphasize the initial d.)
dr and jrChildren enjoy word sorts. You can
prepare games that include words beginning with br, dr, pr, and tr so that children can
make the distinction visually and auditorially.(For example: break, brick, brown, and brush; drink, drop, dress, and dragon; pretty, project, print, and
prance; trash, tree, trip, trout, and truck.)
Nuances or Challenges to Keep in Mind2. Pronouns
There is no subjective pronoun equivalent for “it” in Spanish.
To say, “It is raining,” is simply “llueve” or “está lloviendo.” There is no pronoun at the
beginning of the sentence.
We may say, “It was fun.” “It was a warm day.” “It was raining.”
“It was difficult.”
The Spanish equivalent would begin with the verb. Children need to be taught explicitly
appropriate use of the subjective pronoun it.
“When transferred, first-language metalinguistic insights―morphological awareness, in particular―serves as a filter through which second-language print input is analyzed and categorized . . .”
Koda, Keiko. “Impacts of prior literacy experience on second-language learning to read,” Learning to read across languages, 2008.
Onset and Rime in English
capflapmapnaprapsapsnaptap
backblackpackracksackstacktacktrack
batcatfathatmatpatratsat
Sílabas en españolcadafamaparasataza
codolomonoposotovo
cedemenepereseteve
cidifilinirisitivi
cudufugulunupurusutu
Common Words in Spanish
Palabras comunes en español
cadacaracasadamafamamapamasaparapasasacatazavaca
mesatechotemacita
dimefinolibroLimarisatiravida
comocopacosagomalocanotapocoposorosasopatocatoma
Resources• Fu, Danling (2009). Writing between languages: How English language
learners make the transition to fluency. Heinemann, Portsmouth: NH. • González, N, Moll, L.C., & Amanti, C. (Eds.). (2005). Funds of knowledge:
Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Koda, Keiko. “Impacts of prior literacy experience on second-language learning to read,” Learning to read across languages, 2008.
• Perfetti, C. (2003). The universal grammar of reading. Scientific Studies of Reading, 7 (1), 3-24.
• Prater, Kathryn (2009) “Reading comprehension and English language learners. In S.E. Israel and G.G. Duffy (Eds.), Handbook of research on reading comprehension (pp. 607-621). New York : Routledge.
• Reyes, M. and Halcón, J. (eds.) (2001). The best for our children: Critical perspectives on literacy for Latino students. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Valenzuela, A. (1999). Subtractive schooling: U.S.-Mexican youth and the politics of caring. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
