Language Exploration Spanish and English

Similarities in Spanish and English English and Spanish languages have a lot of similarities .Both share common nouns and especially the names of items. For example, the noun insect in English is insecto in Spanish and professor in English is profesor in Spanish. Some words in Spanish are also synonymous in English. Besides, some of the sentence structures in English and Spanish are similar. Both languages usually apply subject-verb-object word order. Spanish language also has parts of speech just like English (Mott 5-18).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Language Exploration: Spanish and English specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Differences in Spanish and English Pronunciation of words in English and Spanish is very different as in Spanish, each letter in a word carries equal weight; meaning that each vowel has to be pronounced as opposed to English where some vowels and consonants are always silent (Smith and Swa n 24). Another feature that is different in the two languages is the endings to nouns in feminine and masculine forms. Masculine nouns in Spanish end with the suffix ‘o’ or may end with a consonant and are pluralized using ‘los’, while feminine nouns end with ‘a’ and are pluralized using ‘las’. On the other hand, English language does not differentiate between feminine and masculine nouns. In English, nouns ending in vowels are pluralized using‘s’ while nouns ending in consonants are pluralized using ‘es’ (Smith and Swan 17). Another difference that exists between these two languages is in the use of adjectives where adjectives come before the nouns in English and after the nouns in Spanish. In Spanish, an adjective transform to match to the noun that it is recounting or the gender of that noun. Spanish language has many different verb conjugations, unlike English language which only has a few (Smith and S wan 47). Besides, Spanish language has non-standardized syntax as compared to English since, in Spanish; the emphasized word may come at the end of the sentence. Again, in Spanish, the verb tenses have no one-to-one correspondence (Smith and Swan 44). There is quite a disparity in the phonology of the two languages in their vowel sounds and also in their sentence stress. Spanish language has five pure vowels as well as five dipthongs (Smith and Swan 21). On the other hand, English has twelve pure vowels as eight dipthongs sounds. There also exist differences in semantics as some English-Spanish cognates have different meanings (Smith and Swan 21). Teaching Strategy for ELLs In teaching as a second language to Spanish learners, the knowledge of their similarities and differences is very important as it enables the teacher evaluate each learner’s entry behavior in English language (Lucas 84).Advertising Looking for essay on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to the similarities that exist between English and Spanish particularly in words and nouns, English language learners who have knowledge in Spanish and can read Spanish have the ability to transfer their literacy skills in Spanish to English (Colorin Colorado 3). They are therefore able to learn English faster. Teachers of ELLs should therefore give Spanish-speaking learners the opportunity to express themselves in Spanish when they are still trying to grasp English so as to allow them to transfer these skills to English. Over time, they become proficient in English and stop to depend on Spanish language (Lucas 14). To enhance the learning of English to the Spanish-speaking ELLs, it is important to help them distinguish the various English sounds each time they communicate, read or even write taking note of the sounds which do not exist in their language. Besides, it is important to ensure that the classroom environment makes the ELL s feel comfortable as they experiment with English. The learning environment should allow them to learn from each other (Colorin Colorado 7). According to Beckett and Haley (74), it is also important to structure opportunities that enable ELLs to learn English even outside the classroom and to also help them make connections to their Spanish language. Works Cited Beckett, Carol and Haley, Perry. â€Å"Using standards to integrate academic language into ESL fluency.† The Clearing House, 74.2 (2000). Washington: National Academy Press. Corolin Colorado. Common Questions about English Language Learners. Colorin Colorado, 2007. 29 January, 2011. http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/common-questions-about-english-language-learners Lucas, Tamara. â€Å"Facilitating the transitions of secondary English language learners: Priorities for principals.† NASSP Bulletin, 84.619 (2000). New York: Sage Publication. Mott, Bernard. Introductory semantics and pragmatism for Spanish lea rners of  English. Barcelona: University of Barcelona, 1996. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Language Exploration: Spanish and English specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Smith, Benard and Swan, Michael. Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Print. This essay on Language Exploration: Spanish and English was written and submitted by user Corban R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.