Cross-Linguistic Transfer in Tagalog-Iloko Bilingual Learning: A Morphosemantic Analysis of Cognates in Nueva Ecija

Cross-linguistic similarity can provide useful lexical cues in bilingual learning, yet form overlap can also create confusion when meanings diverge. This study examines how morphosemantic relationships between Tagalog and Iloko cognates relate to cross-linguistic facilitation and interference in a multilingual educational context in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. A descriptive-qualitative design involved 32 participants (16 students and 16 Filipino-language teachers) from two universities. Data were generated through four focus-group discussions, informant interviews, and archival research; teacher participants additionally supported linguistic analysis and sentence construction. Cognates were examined for word structure, semantic correspondence, lexical and syntactic distribution, and reported effects on first- and second-language use. The dataset showed more cognates with similar meanings than cognates with dissimilar meanings, while the pattern for frequently observed affixes was reversed; systematic phonological and morphological correspondences were also identified. Participants most frequently described false or polysemous cognates as sources of confusion, but they also reported that familiar cognates supported second-language learning by connecting new forms with prior lexical knowledge; this perceived contribution was stronger for second-language learning than for first-language communication. The findings position morphosemantic similarity as both a learning resource and a potential interference mechanism, extending a descriptive Philippine-language analysis toward cross-linguistic lexical learning and bilingual cognition.

IMPACT STATEMENT

The study shows why structurally similar words across Tagalog and Iloko should not be treated only as linguistic curiosities. In multilingual classrooms, reliable form-meaning correspondences may be used as explicit lexical bridges, while false or polysemous cognates require contrastive attention to prevent misinterpretation. For language educators in Philippine multilingual settings, the evidence supports instruction that develops metalinguistic awareness of recurring sound, affix, and meaning patterns while distinguishing participant-reported facilitation from experimentally measured learning effects. This framing also provides a basis for future developmental and experimental studies of bilingual vocabulary learning.