Using cognates and near-cognates - Cognates — AQA GCSE French
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Using cognates and near-cognates - Cognates explained
Teach the concept of exact cognates, which are words that have the same form and essentially the same meaning in both French and English.
Read the full explanation
The specification highlights examples such as 'innocent', 'justice', 'muscle', and 'rectangle'. When such words occur in context, students can be expected to understand them in both English and French without needing prior vocabulary memorisation. Recognising these cognates is a powerful strategy for boosting reading comprehension. Students should be aware that while the written form is identical, the pronunciation in French will follow French phonetic rules, which is a crucial distinction for listening assessments.
Your focus
- Identify exact cognates in written French texts to aid comprehension.
- Understand that exact cognates share spelling and meaning but differ in pronunciation.
- Utilise exact cognates to deduce the meaning of surrounding unfamiliar text.
Using cognates and near-cognates - Cognates exam tips
Marking Points
- Define exact cognates as words with identical spelling and meaning in both languages.
- Recognise and translate exact cognates like 'innocent', 'justice', 'muscle', and 'rectangle' without hesitation.
- Apply knowledge of exact cognates to deduce the overall meaning of a sentence or text.
- Differentiate between the written form (identical) and the spoken form (different pronunciation) of exact cognates.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use exact cognates as anchor words to help you understand the surrounding, more difficult vocabulary in a reading passage.
- 💡When listening, pay attention to the context, as a word like 'justice' will sound different but means the same thing.
- 💡Incorporate exact cognates into your writing to easily expand your vocabulary without needing to learn new spellings.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing exact cognates in speaking exams by using the English pronunciation; correction: apply French phonics (e.g., nasal vowels in 'innocent').
- Failing to recognise a cognate in a listening exam due to its French pronunciation; correction: familiarise yourself with how French vowels and consonants sound in familiar words.
- Overlooking exact cognates when scanning a text for information because they blend in with English thought processes; correction: actively spot them to anchor your understanding of the text.