Cognates are words that are related through the same origin.
Because Spanish and English share common Latin roots, there are hundreds of words in both languages that carry identical or very similar meanings. At times, these words have slight spelling differences, different endings, or other variations, but they are easily recognized in speech and in print. The potential for English language vocabulary is tremendous if teachers will point out the nature of cognates as a vocabulary resource and will provide some of the common comparisons to guide students as cognates are found in their lessons. Again, it should be noted that a cognate identified in English will not be of much value unless the word is known and understood in Spanish. The building of vocabulary strength in English may be encouraged through direct teaching for the transfer of cognates.