Is there a cognate advantage for typically developing Spanish-speaking English-language learners?

Cross-linguistic cognates are words that share form and meaning in two languages (e.g., helicopter-helicóptero); translation equivalents are words that share meaning but not form (e.g., house-casa). Research consistently demonstrates a performance speed and/or accuracy advantage for processing cognates versus noncognates in bilingual adults; studies with children are limited, with equivocal results. We investigated the potential for a cognate advantage for processing expressive and receptive vocabulary in the spoken (vs. written) modality in typically developing Spanish-speaking English-language learners (ELLs).

Thirty 8- to 13-year-old native Spanish-speaking children learning English as their second language completed standardized vocabulary tests in spoken English. Each test item was classified as a cognate or noncognate based on phonological overlap with its Spanish translation. Group and individual analyses were used to examine the effects of cognates.

At the group level, children's test scores were higher for items that were classified as cognates as compared to noncognates of comparable difficulty. However, not all children demonstrated this cognate advantage. Age predicted significant amounts of variance in cognate performance on the receptive test.

Overall, typically developing Spanish-speaking school-age ELL students demonstrated a cognate advantage. There was also considerable within-group variation in performance. Clinical implications are discussed, and directions for future study are provided.