Making Friends with False Friends(sub plan for intermediate students)

TIP FOR TEACHERS: Have the copies of the handout printed and ready to go in a file folder in your classroom. This way, all you need to do is deliver the lesson plan and let the sub know

where to find the materials.

Objectives

● By the end of this activity, students will have reviewed the meaning of the word “cognate.”● The students will have also identified “false friends,” or words that resemble each other but mean

something entirely different, as well as strategies to remember the correct meaning of the Spanish words that might cause confusion.

Activity Summary

Students will review a list of 40 “false friends,” identifying words in Spanish they already know well and concentrating on learning ones that they don’t. After pinpointing the vocabulary words that need reinforcement, students will design their own mnemonic devices to help them remember the correct meanings of the words.

Time Allocation

One 40-50 minute periods

Procedure

1. Introduce the activity by defining the word “cognate” for the students; you can write this definition on the board: a Spanish word that looks and means the same thing as a word you already know in English.

Explain as well that it is important to be aware of amigos falsos, or “false friends,” which are words in Spanish that look like words in English, but actually means something completely different.

2. Distribute the Handout 1 with the list of 40 false friends to students. Ask them to highlight or circle words they already know well and do not require any further study.

3. Once they have a collection of words that they know they need to learn, explain that they will be creating mnemonic devices of their own invention to help them remember the correct meanings of the words. Explain that “mnemonic” means having to do with memory.

4. Tell students that research has proven that making odd or unusual connections to something helps with the remembering of it, so for example, if you are trying to memorize the meaning of a word, the more random the link you invent, the more likely you will remember it. Ask students to come up with a random and off-the-wall image to help them remember the definition of cognate as an example, and put the best one or two on the board as a guide.

5. Then, ask students to start working on their list of mnemonic devices for the words they need to memorize, and to employ the strategy described in step 4 as often as they need to.

6. If students finish early, ask them to pair up or meet in small groups and share their mnemonic devices. If students need more time, suggest they finish the assignment for homework.

Suggested Evaluation Method

If appropriate for your students, explain that the teacher has scheduled a vocabulary quiz for later in the week based on this list of 40 words. As well, tell students that the teacher will want to see the devices the next day upon his or her return to the classroom.

Materials

Handout: 40 false friends (attached)

School supplies:

Highlighters/pens

40 SPANISH-ENGLISH FALSE FRIENDS

Spanish word English translation English word Spanish translation

1. AMERICANO person from North or South America AMERICAN estadounidense

2. ASISTIR to attend, be present at OR to assist ASSIST ayudar

3. BILLÓN (US) trillion, (UK) billion BILLION (US) mil millones

4. BIZARRO dashing, brave, gallant BIZARRE extraño

5. BOMBERO firefighter BOMBER bombardero

6. CARPETA folder CARPET alfombra

7. COLEGIO high school COLLEGE universidad

8. CONSTIPADO (N.) a cold CONSTIPATED constipado (adj.)

9. CONTESTAR to answer CONTEST (v.) contender

10.DELITO crime DELIGHT delicia, deleite

11.DESGRACIA mistake, misfortune DISGRACE vergüenza

12.DISGUSTO annoyance, worry DISGUST asco, repugnancia

13.DORMITORIO bedroom DORMITORY residencia universitaria

14.EMBARAZADA pregnant EMBARRASSED avergonzada

15.EMPRESA business enterprise, company EMPRESS emperatríz

16.ENVIAR send ENVY (v.) envidiar

17.ESTRECHAR to narrow, bring closer together STRETCH estirar, alargar

18.ESTIMADO esteemed ESTIMATE estimacíon, presupuesto

19.EXITO success, hit EXIT salida

20.FÁBRICA factory FABRIC tela

21.GROSERÍA grossness, crudeness GROCERY abarrotería, tienda de comestibles

22. INTRODUCIR insert INTRODUCE (someone) presentar

23.LARGO long LARGE grande

24.LECTURA reading LECTURE conferencia

25.LIBRERÍA bookstore LIBRARY biblioteca

26.MOLESTAR bother MOLEST abusar (sexualmente)

27.NUDO knot NUDE desnudo

28.PARADA stop, e.g. bus stop PARADE desfile

29.PARIENTE relative PARENT padre

30.PREOCUPADO worried PREOCCUPIED distraído

31.REALIZAR to come true REALIZE darse cuenta

32.RECORDAR to remember, remind RECORD grabar

33.ROPA clothes ROPE cuerda

34.SANO healthy SANE cuerdo

35.SOPA soup SOAP jabón

36.SOPORTAR tolerate, put up with SUPPORT apoyar

37.SUCESO event SUCCESS éxito

38.TUNA prickly pear TUNA atún

39.ÚLTIMAMENTE recently ULTIMATELY al final

40.VASO drinking glass VASE jarrón, florero

Adapted from: http://mentalfloss.com/article/57195/50-spanish-english-false-friend-words

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