The impact of mind mapping on vocabulary acquisition in fictional texts to enhance reasoning development and strengthen language skills of Iranian French-learning children and teenagers.

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 PhD student in French language and literature, specialized department of French language, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Research Sciences Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of French Language, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences,, Science and Research, Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor of French Language Literature and Semiotics, Tarbiat Modarres University، tehran، iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of French Language, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Learning vocabulary and its memorization represent crucial challenges in language education. With the evolution of educational methodologies, contemporary techniques aim to streamline this process. Mind maps have emerged as a recent educational aid, offering effective learning strategies.
Background of the Study: This study examines how the application of mind mapping, directed at fostering reasoning and enhancing language skills (reading and writing) among French-learning children and teenagers, influences the acquisition of fictional texts vocabulary. The investigation seeks to gauge the impact of employing the mental mapping model to develop reasoning prowess and fortify language aptitude in children and teenagers. By emulating the brain's structure, the utilization of mind maps facilitates connecting the brain's left hemisphere (associated with reasoning and logic) to the right hemisphere (linked to literature and language).

Methodology: To test the hypothesis regarding the impact of mind mapping on fictional texts vocabulary acquisition and the enhancement of reasoning and language skills (reading and writing), 50 Iranian children and teenagers learning French in the sixth grade were selectively chosen through a clustered and randomized approach. These students were then divided into two groups of 25 individuals each, identified as the control group and the experimental group. Both cohorts underwent preliminary testing through a semi-experimental method before the training phase, with their scores meticulously recorded in group-specific tables.

Subsequently, the control group received conventional education, involving storytelling sessions where new words were presented on the blackboard, accompanied by synonyms, with students tasked to write and remember them. Post-sessions, a vocabulary post-test was conducted for the control group, and their scores were documented. In parallel, the experimental group, comprising 25 language learners, engaged in sessions where a page from the William Poire stories by Jean-Claude Lumet was read. These learners were taught words extracted from the text utilizing the mind map technique. Each session involved selecting a key word, establishing it as the central idea within the mind map, and subsequently connecting related words as sub-branches to the central concept, thereby introducing new vocabulary. A research questionnaire was designed for the experimental group's post-test to assess their acquired knowledge.

Conclusion: The analysis of the test results substantiates the hypothesis, demonstrating that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-vocabulary test. This confirms the significant impact of mind mapping on the acquisition of fictional texts vocabulary, fostering reasoning ability, and fortifying language skills (reading and writing) in French language learners. The experimental group showcased remarkable progress in the vocabulary post-test.

Keywords

References

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Critical Language and Literary studies
Volume 20, Issue 31
January 2024
Pages 235-261

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