DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH-PORTUGUESE COGNATE WORDS

We present the Dictionary of English-Portuguese Cognate Words, as an indispensable tool for the study and learning of English and Portuguese languages and an integral part of the English Language Teaching Method “Yes, I Can – The English You Did not Know that You Know”.
Revolutionary method of learning the English language based on the mnemonic concept consisting of the use of English-Portuguese cognate words. Such method consists of the academic preparation of the student through the teaching of the grammatical and orthographic construction of the English language combined with the mastery of the respective vocabulary, already existing in the native student, but being such an inert attribute.
Through the mnemonic method, and considering that more than 60% per cent of the English language derives from Latin, there will be naturally a “discovery” due to the breakdown of the paradigm (difficult of learning) that exists between both languages, bringing them closer and providing the student the confidence to discern and concatenate the ideas in English
by vocalizing or writing them, as well as understanding the language heard and/or read.
The mnemonic method is based on a set of techniques used to aid the memorization process. It consists in the elaboration of supports such as schemes, graphs, symbols, words or phrases related to the subject to be memorized. Resorting to these supports promotes a rapid association and allows a better assimilation of the content, which is why the use of the dictionary of cognate words will stimulate learning at a very high level, as it will reveal to the student the exact dimension of English mastery that he/she did not know that he/she know.
It has been proven that human memory stores information more easily when it is associated with organized and simple sequences that will help to record data effectively. The same way, the academic environment considers a person fluent in a foreign language when it expresses mastery of approximately 4.000 words, as demonstrated below:
- From 1.500 to 2.000 words:
Intermediate vocabulary level. With this level, you are able to deal with everyday conversations, although with a limited vocabulary.
- From 3.000 to 4.000 words:
Enough to read magazines and newspapers fluently. At this advanced level you are able to keep fluent conversations and discuss more complex subjects.
Did you think are too many words? For sure, not a few, but it is not absurd either. To learn 4000 words, it would be as if in 3 years you would learn around 3 or 4 words a day, which is not much. The Dictionary of English-Portuguese Cognate Words will reveal to students that they actually already have inborn or dormant mastery of at least 4.000 words. Another relevant characteristic of the method is the creation of mechanisms of inhibition of the “fear of making mistakes”, which causes the famous “blank” when communicating in another language. This fact occurs due to the functioning of the limbic system of the human brain, which is responsible for emotions and social behaviors. Such system comprises all brain structures that are mainly related to emotional behavior, learning, memory and motivation.
In short, its main function will be the integration of sensory information with the internal psychic state (safety or fear), where an affective content is attributed to these stimuli, the information is recorded and related to the pre-existing memories (mnemonic method described above), which leads to the production of an adequate and conscious emotional response.
Consequently, the present Dictionary, as the main part of the method, innovates in the relationship trust/cognition, demystifying the study of the English language by removing the mental blocks existing in each person, making them feel safe to leave the “comfort zone” characterized by the native language.