Using mind maps in teaching grammar in English 12 at lang chanh high school

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ
TRƯỜNG THPT LANG CHÁNH
SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM
USING MIND MAPS IN TEACHING GRAMMAR IN ENGLISH 12 AT LANG CHANH HIGH SCHOOL 
Người thực hiện: Nguyễn Thị Huyền	
Chức vụ: 	Giáo viên	
SKKN thuộc lĩnh mực (môn): Tiếng Anh
THANH HOÁ NĂM 2019
Appendices
Content
Page
I. Introduction
2
1. Reason for choosing the topic 
2
2. Aims of the study
3
3. Methods of the study 
3
II. Contents
3
1. Theoretical background
3
2. Practical background: The reality of quality of English at Lang Chanh High School
5
3. Solutions
5
3.1. Mind mapping strategies for teachers
5
3.2. How to draw a Mind Map
8
3.3. Some examples
8
3.4.Some results
12
3.5.Result
14
III. conclusion
15
1. General conclusion
15
2. Recommendation
15
THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
LANG CHANH UPPER- SECONDARY SCHOOL
THANH HOA, 2019
EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE
Using mind maps in teaching grammar in English 12 at Lang Chanh high school
 	The writer: Nguyen Thi Huyen
	Position: Teacher of English
	Experience initiative: English
I. Introduction
1. Reason for choosing the topic 
English is one of the mostly used languages in the world. The knowledge of English is a very good thing in the present day world. It is a very important language and it has been incorporated into the learning curriculum of many schools and other learning institutions all over the world. Learning English is becoming more and more important recently. Like many countries in the world in Vietnam, English is considered as a core subject. Therefore, every students at all levels of education from pre-school to higher education have to learn English. Especially, for high school students English is one of the core subjects in GCSE examination. However, the average score of English in the exams generally and in GCSE examination particularly is very low. To get the better result in the exam, students must have good knowledge of English. If we want to help students to do that, we need to innovate teaching methods constantly.
During teaching and learning English process, especially at Lang Chanh high school where most of the students are not good at English, finding the way to obtain English is the most important. Mind map is one of the most useful one to help students to learn English better. It could be an effective tool that helps students to associate new information to their exsiting knowledge. In teaching my students, I often make use of mind mapping and students have no idea about it. Grammar is not easy subject and a lot of students encounter difficulty in mastering it. The mind map is less commonly reffered to as word maps or vocabulary networds as well. By introducing mind mapping and improving grammar point methods to the students, they will be able to handle their grammar lesson easily and get better results in learning English. How to use mind maps in teaching English effectively is also the problem which we offen meet. Recognizing the impotance of using mind maps, I have chosen this topic in hope of finding out some useful measure to use mind maps teaching grammar in English 12.
2. Aims of the study
- To introduce mind maps and to show the advantages of using mind maps.
- To show how to use mind maps in teaching and learning grammar in English 12.
- To help teachers teach English grammar effectively. 
- To help students learn English grammar better. 
3. Methods of the study 
- The qualitative and quantitave approach
II. Contents
1. Theoretical background: 
A mind map is a diagram used to visually organize information. A mind map is hierarchical and shows relationships among pieces of the whole. It is often created around a single concept, drawn as an image in the center of a blank page, to which associated representations of ideas such as images, words and parts of words are added. Major ideas are connected directly to the central concept, and other ideas branch out from those major ideas. Mind maps can also be drawn by hand, either as "rough notes" during a lecture, meeting or planning session, for example, or as higher quality pictures when more time is available. Mind maps are considered to be a type of spider diagram. A similar concept in the 1970s was "idea sun bursting".
A mind map is an easy way to brainstorm thoughts organically without worrying about order and structure. It allows you to visually structure your ideas to help with analysis and recall. A mind map is a diagram for representing tasks, words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around a central concept or subject using a non-linear graphical layout that allows the user to build an intuitive framework around a central concept. A mind map can turn a long list of monotonous information into a colorful, memorable and highly organized diagram that works in line with your brain's natural way of doing things.
Mind-mapping can be use d in different learning and thinking processes. People make use of various colours, images, symbols and errors, etc to associate and connect ideas. The drawing of mind maps requires the uses of both sides of the brain (Buzan, 1976) and therefore can increase productivity and memory retention. The strong visual appeal off mind maps can speech up the learning process and help students to memorise and recall information effectively (Brinkmann, 2003). Also, the more personalised the mind maps, the more easily learner could retrieve information (Buzan & Buzan, 2000).
Basically, mind mapping avoids dull, linear thinking, jogging your creativity and making note taking fun again. We use mind maps for:
- Note taking
- Brainstorming (individually or in groups)
- Problem solving
- Studying and memorization
- Planning
- Researching and consolidating information from multiple sources
- Presenting information
- Gaining insight on complex subjects
- Jogging your creativity
It is hard to make justice to the number of uses mind maps can have – the truth is that they can help clarify your thinking in pretty much anything, in many different contexts: personal, family, educational or business. Planning you day or planning your life, summarizing a book, launching a project, planning and creating presentations, writing blog posts -well, you get the idea – anything, really.
In the education sector, mind maps are commonly used for note making, creative thinking, report writing and decision making. Through mind-mapping, children develop their "personalised" maps with pictures and colourful lines that stimulate their interests and creativity and consequently their competences in learning. Mind-mapping is useful for the building of knowledge and understanding and ideas association. There are many challebges that mind maps can help students especially high school students with.
- Brainstorming sessions can feel like a frustrating waste of time for a dyslexic because they are more interested in the big picture than in lots of smaller idears. Mind maps can help because they provide a way to structure the keywords being said and to branch the information being discussed. This creates a way to bring a shape to what is being shared in the brainstorming session. A one page mind map means you can review the session quite straightforwardly. 
- Information overload: There is a lot of note taking in high school either from what is on the board or trying to summarise what the teacher is saying. A mind map helps here because it is a way of consolidating information and creating an overview as you listen. It also means you have one concise page of notes rather than 3 or 4 pages per lesson. 
- Remembering details: It can be a real challenge to remember all of the information you need and remember it in a right order. The use of colour for each branch in a mind map helps to chunk the information into core themes so you can recall it in a more helpful way.
- Writing essay: Essay can be a real challenge for dyslexics because they involve a lot of planning and structuring of your ideas. A mind map helps to anchor those ideas and bring some structure to them. Firstly, you can brainstorm your ideas, identify different themes and possibilities and bring order to these with a structure map. This mind map will help you add to each theme so that your thoughts can develope in a systematic manner.
In teaching and learning English grammar, mind maps are very useful. They help students to collect knowledge and remember easily especially in revise lesson. 
2. Practical background: The reality of quality of English at Lang Chanh High School
At Lang Chanh high school there are more than one thousand students, 1/3 of them are 12th grade students. Because most of the students are ethnic minority, their basic knowledge of English is not good and they are not confident in communicating. Therefore, the teachers who teach them have to be really enthusiastic and patient. We always try our best to find out the most suitable methods to help students learn English effectively. 
In recent years, thanks to the implementation of innovation of teaching method in lang Chanh High school in general, in Foreign Language group in particular, the quality of students in all subjects has significantly improved. Most of the teaching lessons have been taught by using active teaching methods that are suitable for each unit of knowledge and students' ability such as: learner-centered approach, mind maps, group work,... After applying these methods to teaching, I found that using minad maps in English lesson really practical and effective. The students's results in learning English are becoming better and better. Furthermore, more and more students are interested in learning English. English lessons are no longer a burden to the students those are always sitting and listening to the teacher. During the class, students can brainstorm, then discuss with their partners about the content of the lessons and draw the mind maps by themselves, which makes them understand and remember knowledge better.
In general; however, sometimes using mind maps is not practical and appropriate enough. Therefore, I want to talk about how to use mind maps in English lessons effectively, with the aim of contributing to improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning English, especially in teaching and learning English 12, to help the students get better result in the next GCSE examination.
3. Solutions
3.1. Mind mapping strategies for teachers
The adoption of Mind Maps in teaching has grown recently due to the benefits of using Mind Maps to learn and the availability of free online mind mapping software.
Teachers have recognized the value of using Mind Maps to engage students, encourage creativity and, most importantly, teaching how to learn rather simply memorizing content. Mind Maps have even been integrated into emerging teaching techniques such as the Flipped Classroom and Design Thinking as outlined in the Mind Map on the right.
Pre-class:
Planning: Whether its lesson plans, design of your class curriculum for the school year or planning an assignment timeline, Mind Maps give you a clear and visual overview of what needs to be covered.
Organizing: If you’re the type of person who regularly jots down ideas and thoughts, Mind Maps are the perfect tool to create structure and organization of a topic.
In-class:
Teaching: Online Mind Maps can be used in class to brainstorm and generate discussions. This will encourage students to participate but also to fully understand a topic and its nuances by creating connections between ideas.
Hand-outs: Mind Maps that have been created online can easily be printed and shared with students. Notes in the Mind Map can built on by students in class.
Presentations: A brilliant way to develop student’s communication skills is through presentations. However, students can easily become bored listening to others present. Mind Maps act as visual information providers and encourage the audience to engage with the material that is being presented. Easily create an interactive Mind Map online with this free Mind Mapping tool, ExamTime.
Creativity: Essentially a Mind Map is a blank canvas; why not have some fun in your classroom? Get the creative juices flowing by throwing your students a silly idea and asking them how this can be achieved. Not only will this exercise encourage creativity, but it will also help students think for themselves and have some fun with it!
Learning: Mind Maps have been embraced in the realm of education as a learning tool which help students reinforce knowledge by making connections between different areas and delving in-depth into an area.
Outside class:
Collaboration: The new generation of “Digital Citizens” are highly adaptable to change and expect to use technology as part of their education. Students can easily work together on group projects or assignments using free online study tools such as ExamTime where you can share your Mind Map with friends or a group of people.
Assessment: A great way to use Mind Maps for assessment is to ask students to express their ideas about a topic in a Mind Map before and after a class. Students will retain the information better and it will also reassure teachers that students remember and understand the knowledge.
Comprehension: Analyzing study material by reflecting on what you have learned is key to fully comprehending new information. Encourage students to delve into the material and see how far they can go – a Mind Map can develop into several ideas which can branch out into new Mind Maps from each node.
With the availability of online Mind Mapping tools, it’s now even easier to capitalize on the opportunities discussed above.  Remember, students have grown up with technology more so than you so introduce them to the technology and let the possibilities fly!
3.2. How to draw a Mind Map
Drawing a mind map is as simple as 1-2-3:
Step 1: Start in the middle of a blank page, writing or drawing the idea you intend to develop. You should use the page in landscape orientation.
Step 2: Develop the related subtopics around this central topic, connecting each of them to the center with a line.
Step 3: Repeat the same process for the subtopics, generating lower-level subtopics as you see fit, connecting each of those to the corresponding subtopic.
Some more recommendations:
- Use colors, drawings and symbols copiously. Be as visual as you can, and your brain will thank you. I’ve met many people who don’t even try, with the excuse they’re "not artists". Don’t let that keep you from trying it out!.
- Keep the topics labels as short as possible, keeping them to a single word – or, better yet, to only a picture. Especially in your first mind maps, the temptation to write a complete phrase is enormous, but always look for opportunities to shorten it to a single word or figure – your mind map will be much more effective that way.
- Vary text size, color and alignment. Vary the thickness and length of the lines. Provide as many visual cues as you can to emphasize important points. Every little bit helps engaging your brain.
3.3. Some examples
1/Topic: Tense Revision
Step 1: Teacher introduces topic
Step 2: Teacher asks sts to work in groups and discuss about the main points related to the topic.
Step 3: Teacher gives the eliciting questions to help sts recall the forms, adverds, uses of the tenses.
Step 4: Teacher goes around and helps sts if necessary. 
2/Topic: Reported speech
	Step 1: Teacher introduces topic
	Step 2: Teacher asks sts to work in groups and discuss about the main points related to the topic.
	Step 3: Teacher gives the eliciting questions to help sts recall the forms.
	Step 4: Teacher goes around and helps sts if necessary. 
3/Topic: Passive voice
	Step 1: Teacher introduces topic
	Step 2: Teacher asks sts to work in groups and discuss about the main points related to the topic.
	Step 3: Teacher gives the eliciting questions to help sts recall the forms.
	Step 4: Teacher goes around and helps sts if necessary. 
4/Topic: Conditional sentences
	Step 1: Teacher introduces topic
	Step 2: Teacher asks sts to work in groups and discuss about the main points related to the topic.
	Step 3: Teacher gives the eliciting questions to help sts recall the forms.
	Step 4: Teacher goes around and helps sts if necessary. 
5/Topic: Comparisons
	Step 1: Teacher introduces topic
	Step 2: Teacher asks sts to work in groups and discuss about the main points related to the topic.
	Step 3: Teacher gives the eliciting questions to help sts recall the forms.
	Step 4: Teacher goes around and helps sts if necessary. 
6/Topic: Tag questions
	Step 1: Teacher introduces topic
	Step 2: Teacher asks sts to work in groups and discuss about the main points related to the topic.
	Step 3: Teacher gives the eliciting questions to help sts recall the forms.
	Step 4: Teacher goes around and helps sts if necessary. 
3.4.Some images
3.5.Result
Group 12A2 : The total number of students is 43
Very good
Good
Average
Below average
The first mid-term
02
(5%)
15
(35%)
16
(36%)
10
(24%)
The second mid-term
10
(24%)
25
(58%)
8
(18%)
0
Group 12A4 : The total number of students is 44
Very good
Good
Average
Below average
The first mid-term
0
(0%)
7
(16%)
15
(35%)
22
(50%)
The second mid-term
05
(12%)
12
(27%)
25
(57%)
02
(4%)
Group 12A6 : The total number of students is 42
Very good
Good
Average
Below average
The first mid-term
01
(2%)
05
(12%)
16
(37%)
20
(49%)
The second mid-term
05
(12%)
12
(29%)
22
(51%)
03
(8%)
Group 12A7 : The total number of students is 41
Very good
Good
Average
Below average
The first mid-term
0
(0%)
04
(10%)
15
(39%)
22
(51%)
The second mid-term
03
(7%)
12
(32%)
22
(51%)
04
(10%)
III. conclusion
1. General conclusion
Grammar acquistion is criticial for language learning. As observed in this study, students can become more confident wwith the mastery of grammar. Learning to do so however is regarded as one of the most problematic areas by language teachers. The typical repettion strategies for learning grammar may not be effecrive for all. Other strategies are required to facilitate grammar acquisition. 
Mind-mapping is a technique for facilitating knowledge acquisition and retrieval through the use of visual clues such as images, errors and colours. A single place ro record the mind maps is necessary for learners to retrieve their memories. Through this study, I found that helping high school students to create personalized, colourful and interesting mind maps could ease their difficulties to acquire and recall the grammar for a longer period of time. Teacing and learning by mind-mapping is fun because they motivate students to study and use grammar points regularly. Besides, the skill of drawing mind maps are easy to manage. All students could apply the strategy for learning grammar points to their writing exercises or learning new words in the class. Regularly practice with mind maps diagrams can encourage the learners to apply the technique in their own learning process. In addition, positive impacts have also been reflected by students' English learning results. Overall, mind-mapping as a grammar learning strategy is effective for our students wwith average performance.
2. Recommendation
To reinforce the effectiveness of learning grammar in the English classroom, students may be asked to draw mind maps either individually or together after the teaching of grammar in the lesson. Then the students can use the created mind maps to learn vocabulary and write and tell a story in the class. It is also used for students to practice their writing and speaking skill. Being used not only in learning English but also in learning other subjects in school, mind maps can help students learn more effectively and get the better results.
Regular practice is needed for