A Study On The Application Of Mind Map To English Vocabulary Teaching In Junior High Schools

Vocabulary is the foundation for learning English and an essential component of language mastery.English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2022 Edition)stipulates that vocabulary learning not only includes memorising the pronunciation,spelling and meaning of words,but also acquiring some knowledge of word formation.However,current teaching methods in junior high school often rely on teacher recitation of words lists and corresponding vocabulary tasks,which can be tedious and neglect the connections among words,leading to a single method of vocabulary learning for students.To address this issue,the study explores the application of mind map as a visual thinking tool to simplify complex lexical information and establish connections between words,phrases and sentences in English vocabulary teaching in junior high school.Specifically,the study aims to answer three research questions:(1)What is the status quo of junior high school students’ English vocabulary learning?(2)What is the impact of applying Mind Map to junior high school English vocabulary teaching on students’ vocabulary learning methods?(3)What is the impact of applying Mind Map to junior high school English vocabulary teaching on students’ vocabulary performance?The study involved 82 students from two parallel classes in Grade Seven at a junior high school and conducted a fourteen-week study on mind map teaching.Before the experiment,questionnaire and vocabulary test were distributed to assess the status quo of English vocabulary learning among junior high school students.In the experimental period,the experimental class employed a mind map vocabulary teaching model,which applied mind map to different teaching phases,including preparation before class,instruction in class and consolidation after class.The control class used the 3P model,which includes presentation,practice and production.At the end of the experiment,the study administered vocabulary tests to two groups,conducted questionnaires and interviews with students in the experimental classes to understand the changes in their vocabulary learning.The data collected in this study were analyzed by SPSS 26.0 software for descriptive statistics,independent sample t-test,paired sample t-test and effect size.This study shows that:(1)Most students recognize the importance of vocabulary learning,but they lack scientific methods and rely on a single approach to learn words.(2)The application of mind map effectively improves students’ vocabulary learning methods and vocabulary performance,indicating the potential of mind map in changing traditional English vocabulary teaching methods.Moreover,the use of mind map in different teaching phases demonstrates their versatility in English vocabulary teaching.The implications of this study suggest that:(1)teachers need to innovate vocabulary teaching models and simplify the procedures of drawing mind map.(2)Mind map vocabulary teaching should play a leading role for teachers while highlighting the cognitive subjectivity of students.