Focus on cognates
According to Hill the identification and use of cognates can be a building block in
vocabulary learning. Students look at the words and discuss how they are alike and different by
focusing on word roots, endings and affixes. He states that it is crucial for students to be aware of
false cognates - words that have similar spelling and pronunciation but don‘t share the same
meaning.
Hill uses the following strategy to facilitate mastery of more complex words and concepts in
academic English. He pre-selects words from an upcoming text or conversation and explains
meaning with student-friendly definitions. He provides examples of how the word is used and
asks students to repeat the word, in order to model correct pronunciation. He constantly engages
students in activities to develop mastery of the words.