The Significance of Mind Mapping in English Teaching in Independent Colleges

Abstract

This paper focuses on the application of mind mapping to English teaching in Independent Colleges, emphasizing the role of mind mapping in consolidating English word memory. With the aim to heighten awareness of the capabilities of the method, this article lays particular emphasis on how to help students form effective English learning strategies, cultivate students independent learning ability and cooperative learning ability, and also improve the effectiveness of English classroom teaching and learning. Keywords—Mind mapping; Innovative thinking; Independent learning; Cooperative learning I. DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MIND MAPPING Mind map, also known as brain map, is a tool of imagebased thinking expresses what in mind. The formation and practice of this theory are constantly proving its scientific nature and effectiveness. In the early 1960s, the famous educator Tony Buzan proposed this theory, which he called MindMap , or mind mapping.[3] (in Chinese) The basic features of the new knowledge information sorting method of mind mapping are: A. Paying attention to the prominent focus and the central figure In mind mapping, there should be a lot of brain skills like color, shape, line, dimension, texture, visual rhythm, developing the brain potential, triggering rich association and imagination, stimulating creativity, which is the biggest advantage of mind mapping. Through a mind map, the main content and mutual relations of the whole book are vividly and concretely displayed in front of the reader, so that the reader can quickly grasp the whole book s vein and the author s writing idea.[1] (in Chinese) B. Clear center and priorities The theme is the center, and other information radiates from the central figure to the periphery as branches. The main trunk can be increased continuously, and each branch can be grown continuously. From the figure, we can know the open structure of mind mapping, which is conducive to the system thinking about the connection between various elements. C. The clear theme, close connection and easy to memorize Branches in mad mapping are composed of a key figure or keyword, and less important topics are also shown in the form of branches, attached to the higher form; the key words on each branch line are like a rudder or a compass, so they are not easy to get lost in the ocean of the brain, and can be used to organize thoughts. D. Easy to associate and diverge, easy to grasp the mutual relationship Each branch forms a connected contact structure, which makes it easy to grasp connections and relationships. From the characteristics of mind mapping, this method can be used for learning and thinking activities both in work and life. For learning management, mind mapping helps make learning plans, research projects, communicating, organizing, analyzing and solving problems. While as a learner, it can also help memorize, take notes, write reports and papers, give speeches, review exams, and think systematically, and so on. But as a teacher, mind mapping does great help in teaching plans; discussion, training, evaluation and so on so forth, which has a wide range of usage and far-reaching influence. [5] (in Chinese) II. APPLICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MIND MAPPING IN ENGLISH TEACHING IN INDEPENDENT COLLEGES An important process of language learning is to integrate new language knowledge into learners original cognitive structure, establish new schema and form meaning construction. As a facilitator of meaning construction, teachers can use the scaffolding teaching of mind mapping to help improve learners ability to transform knowledge into their own internal expression through the experience interpretation of language input. [2] (in Chinese) How to change students learning autonomy seems very important. Therefore, the author has carried out the teaching experiment of using mind mapping to promote students to change their learning mode. Mainly in the form of group cooperative learning, through Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, volume 96 2019 3rd International Conference on Education, Management Science and Economics (ICEMSE 2019) Copyright © 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 127 group discussion, speech and other methods, with the help of mind mapping, mobilize students learning enthusiasm, improve divergent thinking ability, teamwork ability, and strengthen students analytical ability and English expression and communication ability.[3] (in Chinese) While in English teaching: • Teachers prepare lessons before class. Mind mapping is an effective tool for introducing knowledge framework before class. It can help teachers establish a complete lesson preparation system, and an overall plan for the content to be taught in class, which make the class more complete. Besides, teachers can make each knowledge point into a mind map according to their needs, which is helpful for students to understand related concepts and the relationship between concepts as a whole.[2] (in Chinese) • Organize student class activities. In class, teachers can also use mind mapping to divide labor and cooperate with class members. On the one hand, it can effectively help group members divide labor and complete group discussion or homework. On the other hand, it is also helpful for teachers to understand the group members sharing of group work and urge students to participate in group work seriously. • Improve students vocabulary memory. Vocabulary memory in English includes the sound, shape and meaning of words. The traditional method of memorizing words mainly focuses on identification and specific memory. In the specific memory of words, which are remembered according to phonetic symbols and forms are observed. Mind mapping can help students associate and review words and enlarge their vocabulary. At the same time, mind mapping can be used to review and consolidate words, meanwhile greatly improve the effect of students vocabulary memory. • Improve students writing skills. Mind mapping is a thinking mode that records the thoughts generated in the brain with network graphics around a center. This method can effectively help students improve their writing skills and make their article structure more clear and reasonable. To introduce mind mapping into English teaching in Independent College, the specific methods are as follows. A. Applying mind mapping to carry out words and phrases The most basic elements of language learning should be application of mind map, strengthening students memory for words and phrases and expanding vocabulary words, because of the English vocabulary has many characteristics, such as quantity and lack of regularity, it often caused great difficulties on how to memorize words and phrases more effectively, this is a very difficult problem of teaching. German Lerner J·Tries suggest that memorizing meaningful words is faster than memorizing words. The network diagram composed of a series of related words can help students to develop the association. In this way, the words learned are not isolated but have certain internal connection, which undoubtedly plays a decisive role in the knowledge reconstruction , for students. [6] (in Chinese) In the lead-in part of each unit of practical teaching, ask students in each group to make association around topic words or content, and draw mind maps themselves. With the same key words, different groups associate different words. For example, the mind map drawn by one group is shown in Fig. 1. This group used mind mapping to review and consolidate the vocabulary related to word “work”, which were common words students use, but mostly new words learned in real time through knowledge sharing and using reference books. Fig. 1. The mind map of “work” Therefore, through the way of brainstorm (brainstorming), drawing a mind map in the classroom helps the students find out the related words, and take the word group of graphics, which not only consolidate words and phrases learned before, but also activate their thinking way to learn new vocabulary, more comprehensively grasp the words, and get a clear and deep memory. B. Applying mind mapping to carry out group task-driven learning activities In learning and discussing some unit contents, the teacher designs some related topics for students to make demonstrations or debates in groups within a certain time. Team members jointly create a mind map, or students draw his or her data first and then each one mind map combined to discuss, and decide together what has relevance and which is more important, then add some other new ideas or thoughts, finally become a common restructuring mind map. In teaching My first job, the text study, in order to mobilize the enthusiasm of students, to guide students in each group through the brainstorming and role-play from discussing the authors experience freely, exchange views, and use the mind map to assist their divergent thinking, then together resort to all sorts of arguments and conception connected, then use the mind map to consolidate and expand. Finally, students are asked to output their group s conclusions through the languag debate, while mind mapping makes their speech more logical and well organized. The following example is the mind map drawn by one group of students which is shown in Fig. 2. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, volume 96