What it is: Compare L1 and L2 phonological systems to identify similar sounds and differences.

Why it works: Helps students use their existing L1 phonemic awareness for familiar sounds while learning to adjust for new ones.

Example: Pointing out that both Spanish and English have the /m/ sound, but English distinguishes between /b/ and /v/ more sharply than Spanish does.

What it is: Teach how morphemes work in L1 and show their parallels in L2.

Why it works: Many prefixes, roots, and suffixes have similar meanings across languages, especially when L1 and L2 share cognates.

Example: In English and French, “electricité” and “electricity” share the root electric, making vocabulary learning easier.

What it is: Teach students to identify and use cognates—words that have similar form and meaning in L1 and L2.

Why it works: Speeds up vocabulary development and reading comprehension by leveraging known words.

Example: Spanish familia → English family.

What it is: Teach students that strategies for sounding out words in L1 can be adapted to L2, with adjustments for differences in spelling-sound rules.

Why it works: Builds on existing word-attack skills instead of starting from scratch.

Example: A student who uses syllable segmentation in L1 can apply the same skill to break apart English pseudowords.

What it is: Highlight how certain morphological changes affect pronunciation in both languages, helping students predict spelling and sound changes.

Why it works: Supports decoding, spelling, and vocabulary learning by showing patterns that exist in both L1 and L2.

Example: In English, magic → magician involves a softening of the /k/ sound to /ʃ/, similar to certain transformations in Romance languages.