Филологические науки/1. Методика преподавания языка и литературы
К.ф.н. Лобачова І.М.
ДВНЗ «Донбаський державний
педагогічний університет», Україна
Mind Mapping as the Way to Improve Students’ Foreign
Language Skills
The
national education system is focused on the use of modern informative and
communicative technologies to the formation of a fully developed personality
[2]. The modernization of education creates conditions for the operation of
certain informative and communicative environment that guides the educational
and pedagogical activities of two entities: the teacher and the student. So,
there is a new didactic model – three entities relations, including three equal
entities of education – a teacher, a student and an environment [3, p. 401]. The
growth, development, and training of prospective foreign language teachers in the informative
and communicative pedagogical environment, the formation of foreign informative
language competence are within these relationships. So, a modern foreign
language teacher must navigate the variable flow of information, to be able to analyze
and transmit it, thus to self-improvement both in a personal term and
professionally.
In
today's scientific area there are lots of researches the subject of which is using
informative and communicative technologies in education (V. Bykov, O. Bondarenko,
V. Zabolotnyi et al.). Much attention is also given to the study of the
nature, structure and formation of informative competence (M. Holovan); to implementation
and the use of informative and communicative technologies in the system of
subjects of primary school (A. Hryhorchuk, O. Kyvliuk, V. Smoliak
et al.); to interactive smart-technologies in primary school (L. Khoruzha);
to possibilities of using multimedia applications in teaching English in
primary range of secondary school (O. Korobova) and graphic editor in primary
school (M. Levshyn, N. Pidkovych); to computer support of lessons in primary
school (O. Polozhentseva) and others.
The
development of the informative society in Ukraine and implementation of new
informative and communicative technologies in all spheres of social life is
determined by one of the priorities of the state policy [2]. So, the modern
human development is characterized by the transition to a new stage – the
informative society that is understood as a new historical phase of
civilization, where the main manufacturing products are information and
knowledge. The defining features of the informative society are the increasing
role of information and knowledge in the society; increasing the share of
informative communications; creating a global informative space [1]. The main task
of the informative society in Ukraine is to facilitate each person based on the
wide use of modern informative and communicative technologies capabilities to
create information and knowledge, to use and share it, fully realizing ones
potential [2]. Thus, the development of the informative society leads to the widespread
use of informative and communicative technologies in the modern education
system, which is determined by many factors:
- Implementation
of informative and communicative technologies in education significantly
accelerates the transfer of knowledge and accumulated technological and social
experience of mankind;
-
Modern informative and communicative technologies enable people to successfully
and quickly adapt to changes in the society;
-
Active and effective implementation of these technologies in education is an
important factor in the creation of a new education system that meets the
requirements of the informative society and the modernization of the
traditional education system [4].
The
need of informative and communicative technologies in the educational process is
based on the opportunity of implementation of the completely new methods of
teaching and learning a wide range of foreign languages. New informative and
educational technologies based on computer tools make it possible to
significantly improve learning English. An example of this is the use of visual
methods and learning means created on computers with software Inspiration
Software®'s Inspiration® 9 [5].
Visual
thinking is a style of learning where every student better understands and
remembers information only when certain provisions words and concepts associated
with images. Research shows that most students in the regular audience should
see information in order to learn it. Some common visual teaching methods
include creating graphic organizers, diagramming, mind mapping, outlining and
more.
Visual
learning helps students clarify their thoughts. Thanks to it, new foreign concepts
are understood easily and completely, if they relate to previous knowledge.
Such training helps students organize and analyze foreign information using diagrams
and plots to display large
amounts of information in ways that are easy to understand, and help detect
certain patterns. It is believed that students better remember foreign information
when it is presented to study both visual and oral. Linked verbal and visual
information helps to make connections, understand relationships, and recall
related parts.
Visual
learning methods such as graphic organizers, diagrams, maps and more help
students to better master learning goals and succeed in it. With the ability of
brain to image visual teaching methods promote better understanding and
preservation of information.
Creating
a mind map in English is a visual form of notes, which provides a brief
overview of the topic and its information components, allowing students to
understand, create new ideas, and establish links. Through the use of colors,
images and words, mapping encourages students to start with a central idea and
extend to deeper sub-topics [5].
So, a mind
map in English is a visual representation of hierarchical foreign information,
which includes a central idea, surrounded by branches related topics. The
benefits of mind maps in English:
-
Helping students to discuss and explore any foreign idea, concept, or problem;
-
Contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between foreign thoughts
and concepts;
- Make
it easy to communicate new foreign ideas and thought processes;
- Take
notes and plan tasks in English;
- Make
it easy to organize foreign ideas and concepts.
All mind
maps in English start with the main idea of what the rest of the map revolves
around them, so the choice of this idea or topic is the first step. It should begin
with creating an image or writing words representing this first main idea. From
this main idea to create branches, each of which represents one word that
applies to the main topic. It is useful to use different colors and images to
differentiate between branches and sub-topics. Then create sub-branches emanating from the main
branches for further expansion of thoughts and concepts. These additional
branches will also contain words that are designed on the theme of branches,
from which they depart. It helps develop and elaborate on the general topic of the
mind map. Involvement of images can also be useful in brainstorming and to
create the sub-branch topics. Mind maps can be created on paper, but it is
easier to create them on a computer with mind mapping software such as Inspiration Software®'s Inspiration® 9
[5].
Thus,
the creation of mind maps in English is a useful teaching method to help
students discuss any foreign topic and think creatively. Mind maps are
especially useful in the writing process and give students the opportunity to
think the same thoughts and build according to the proposed topic. Mind mapping
also provides teachers with insight into their students’ thought process
regarding a specific topic. By asking students to create mind maps in English demonstrating
their comprehension of a foreign concept, teachers are able to understand what
a student’s prior knowledge was and how well the student understands the
assignment or the material being taught. This is a very effective way of
evaluating students’ understanding.
Література
1.
Вікіпедія,
вільна енциклопедія [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/
2.
Закон України «Про основні засади розвитку інформаційного суспільства
в Україні на 2007 – 2015 роки» [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/rada/show/537-16#n14
3.
Співаковський О.В. До оцінювання взаємодії у моделі
«викладач-студент-середовище». / О.В. Співаковський, Л.Є. Петухова,
Н.А. Воропай // Науково-практичний журнал Південного наукового Центру НАПН
України «Наука і освіта». – 2011. – № 4. – С. 401 – 402.
4.
Ставицька І.В. Інформаційно-комунікаційні технології в освіті [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://confesp.fl.kpi.ua/node/1103
5.
How to use a Concept Map to organize and comprehend information [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://www.inspiration.com/visual-learning/concept-mapping