This document discusses reading skills and provides information about cognates. It defines cognates as words in two languages that have a common origin and similar meaning and spelling. The document notes that cognates can help with reading comprehension but that meanings may differ over time. Examples of cognates like objective/objective and difficult/dificil are provided, as well as a warning about false cognates that look similar but mean different things.

1. * Reading for a Purpose.
*Cognates.
BASIC READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS
-Lesson 1-
UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA-CALI
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
DEPARMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
ENGLISH LEVEL II

2. WHY DO YOU READ?

4. READING MATTERS

5. TYPES OF TEXT
A descriptive text is a text which lists the characteristics of something.

7. Types of information
Encyplopedia
Magazines
Newspaper
Dictionary
Handbook
1. Adapted from: Reading Academic Texts. Cadavid, A. Universidad del Valle

8. Type of information
Text book Short story
Book
Comics

9. Cognates….

10. Cognates are….
 In a technical sense, two words that have a common origin
are cognates.
 cognates are words in two languages that have a common
etymology and thus are similar or identical. For example,
the English "kiosk" and the Spanish quiosco are cognates
because they both come from the Turkish kosk.
 Cognates often have a similar meaning, but in some cases
the meaning has changed over the centuries in one
language or another. An example of such a change is the
English word "arena," which usually refers to a sports
facility, and the Spanish arena, which usually means
"sand."

11. Remember…..Cognates
• Cognates are words in two languages that share a similar
meaning, spelling, but with different pronunciation.
objectivo = objective norteamericana = North
American
actor = actor difícil = difficult
explorar = explore profesor = professor
carácter = character música = music
literatura = literature inteligente = intelligent

12. FALSE COGNATES…
A false cognate is a Spanish word that looks or sounds
similar to an English word but has a totally different meaning.
Some examples are shown below.
Spanish English Confused Spanish
Word Translation With Translation
abandonar to quit to remove quitar
absolutamente,
absoluto absolute absolutely
completamente
en absoluto not at all absolutely totalmente