Infiltration of Mind Mapping in Middle School English Instruction

焦云

【Abstract】This article briefly introduces the concept of mind maps and expounds its application in middle school English instruction. By combining with teaching experience， the author puts forward some personal opinions and suggestions on the infiltration of mind maps in middle school English instruction.

【Key Words】English Instruction Mind Mapping

Introduction

The concept of mind map originated from the British scholar Tony Buzan. Regarding its definition， he believed that mind map originates from a central point， and all words or images can be regarded as sub-centers. When the entire graph is merged， an infinite branch chain is formed， which radiates from the center outwards， or returns to a central point from outwards. The mind map， being a form of expression， can be regarded as a mode of thinking and the thinking process it presents is radiant. According to Buzan， we can summarize the characteristics of mind maps as follows： First， the central graphic clearly states the focal topic; second， the main theme of the subject will radiate from the center outwards in the form of branches; third， the branch composition is often a graph， or on different lines that generate associations; and last， each of the branches forms a connected node structure. In other words， the mind map starts with a central word or phrase. When the thought process deepens， the corresponding objects may emerge by association， and eventually be transformed into an ordered schema. Through mind maps， we can assign colors to different information such as vocabulary， images， colors， and symbols， and then form a map to help people recognize and remember. Tony Buzan proposed that a learner， through the use of mind maps， can overcome the shortcomings of traditional methods in the memorization process. Further， the mind map can also function as the connection between the new and old knowledge， which helps people strengthen the memorization and deepen the understanding of the knowledge they have learned. Therefore， mind maps can be used as a tool by the students to help them expand their thinking process， associate new knowledge with old knowledge in the form of diagrams， and thereby， improve the effect of their memorization. In the meantime， it can also stimulate their creativity and imagination.

Value of Applying Mind Maps in Middle School English Instruction

In middle school English instruction， mind maps as a tool have a relatively high application value. Specifically， the value can be reflected in three aspects： First， the mind map has a positive effect and influence on the cultivation of students' autonomous learning ability. Autonomous learning means that students， after receiving appropriate guidance from teachers， are able to independently complete the learning and application of knowledge. Obviously， when equipped with strong autonomous learning ability， students will often have self-confidence and positive performance in the learning process， and they will also have good learning habits; second， mind mapping can help stimulate students’ thinking， so that their creativity and imagination can be improved. In the learning of English knowledge， whether it is words or grammar， it can be better expressed through mind maps. Based on the knowledge they have already learned， students can use their imagination and express their thinking in the form of images， tables， etc. In so doing， they can construct a proper knowledge system and framework， which will have positive effects on their learning. At the same time， the use of mind maps can also help stimulate students’ enthusiasm in learning， change their ways of thinking， prompt them to look at problems from different perspectives， elicit new ideas from them， and therefore， achieve innovation in learning. Further， through the use of mind maps， students' collaboration skills can also be effectively cultivated. In middle school English instruction， teachers may break students into groups during some parts of the teaching process and arrange corresponding learning tasks for different groups of students. Students would then need to learn collaboratively through teamwork. Individual differences among students means that they have different ideas. They also differ in their understanding and use of mind maps. Because of these differences， students can communicate with the different mind maps they have constructed during the learning process. In this process， they can find their own problems， learn from each other's strengths， and complete learning tasks together. Eventually， their capabilities of collaboration can be improved effectively and their problem solving abilities can also be improved.

Infiltration of Mind Mapping in Middle School English Instruction

Infiltration of Mind Mapping in the Learning of Vocabulary

In English learning， the learning of vocabulary is the most basic and critical. Middle school students have accumulated a certain amount of English knowledge and mastered a certain amount of English vocabulary in elementary school. However， limited by their own learning abilities， middle school students often fail to properly classify the vocabulary they have learned. They cannot connect the new knowledge to the knowledge that they have learned， which would lead to poor learning effects. The use of mind maps can help students solve the problems of insecure memorization and inaccurate use of English vocabulary. For example， when learning the word "interested"， teachers can utilize mind maps in their instruction， and give appropriate guidance to students. They could lead the students to use mind maps to think around the keyword "interested" according to the English vocabulary they have already mastered， such as linking the word with the words of “interesting” and “boring”. When generating the mind maps， the teacher can lead the students to start with the key word of “interested.” Then the students can explore other related words and link them together to generate the mind map， thereby consolidating the vocabulary learned and strengthening the understanding and memorization of the new vocabulary. In this way， they will be able to expand their vocabulary learning and improve their skills of applying the vocabulary in English use. With the help of mind maps and by using the method of association， students are able to establish connections between the vocabulary they have mastered and the newly learned vocabulary， use this connection to analyze the vocabulary， and strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the vocabulary they have learned. Over time， correct use of mind maps will undoubtedly have great significance and influence on changing and optimizing students' thinking mode.

Infiltration of Mind Mapping in English Reading

In the instruction of English reading， accurately grasping the structure of the text is conducive to students' understanding of the text. The use of mind maps can help solve this problem to a large extent. One of the characteristics of the mind map is that it can clearly show the connection between the thinking process， the key points， and the content learned， thus making complex problems very simple， so simple that they can be drawn in the form of graphics. With the help of mind maps， students will be able to see at a glance the full picture of a problem and then extend it. Thus， this is obviously applicable to the instruction of English reading. For example， when students start with English reading， teachers can choose the method of picture display to help students summarize the knowledge they have learned， and then ask students to organize the reading content based on the cognitive schema they have mastered， so that they can immerse themselves in reading under the teacher’s guidance. In classroom instruction， teachers can pass on to the students the key points of the knowledge they have learned， and then group the students， let the students read by themselves， discuss the results of what they have learned. Then the teacher can use a format of problem design to let the group members complete the mind map collectively. In this way， students’ participation will be effectively improved， and at the same time， students’ ability to collaborate can also be cultivated. Finally， each member of the group can be given the opportunity to express their own learning and opinions， which can help other members improve their own mind maps and deepen their understanding and knowledge of reading materials.

Infiltration of Mind Mapping in English Writing

In middle school English instruction， writing has long been a difficult subject to teach. The reason is that students have insufficient accumulation in English， not large enough vocabulary， and relatively poor mastery of writing skills. Most of their compositions lack logic， have poor organization， and are not sufficient in depth of writing. In addition， some students themselves do not pay much attention to English writing. Most of the time， they focus on coping with teachers’ requirements and adopt a mechanical method. In response to this， teachers can utilize mind maps in their instruction. With the help of mind maps， students can have a clear understanding of the logic of the composition they are to write， get a clear idea of what needs to be expressed， and then write correspondingly. In this way， they will have rules to follow and have materials to write on， and eventually get skillful in writing.

In summary， mind mapping is a great tool for teachers and students and it can be applied to almost every aspect in English instruction， such as vocabulary building， reading comprehension， and writing. With the guidance from teachers who carefully prepare for the mind mapping method， students can benefit greatly from the utilization of this method. With improved English proficiency， students will cultivate more interest in English and thereby generate a positive learning cycle in English learning.

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