Tài liệu Facilitating teaching reading comprehension by using mind map strategy

FACILITATING TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION BY USING MIND MAP STRATEGY 1. Introduction English is widely used for communication in the world. English is used in many fields such as Information Technology, Economy, Science, Arts, Education and Politics. With the rapid development of science and technology, young generations (learners) need to develop their ability in many aspects in order not to be left behind. Mastering English is one way to reach it. In Vietnam, the position of English is as a foreign language. It is taught from the elementary school to university. In learning English, there are four skills that have to be mastered. They are: listening, speaking, reading and writing. These skills are equally important, but according to Carell (1998) reading is an important means by which, not only is new information learned, but also new language skills are acquired. The ultimate goal of teaching English is to enable students to communicate. Communication does not only take place with two or more speakers, but also it takes place between a speaker and a text. There should be a kind of interaction between the learner (reader) and the text which is being read in order to be good readers. Reading is a necessary skill that any learner needs. Reading skill is still one of the most important aspects to be taught in school in order to enable the learners to grasp the meaning from the reading text. In the past, according to the traditional view, reading begins with the child’s mastering the names of the letters, then mastering the letter-sound relationships, then learning some easy words in isolation, and finally reading simple stories with highly controlled vocabularies (Harp and Brewer, 1996). Researcher sand teachers as well complain that most learners are not able to understand what they read. In English Foreign Language teaching, reading comprehension is one of the most important factors in assessing learners’ linguistic competence. Also, the teacher's notion of reading is very important to determine the most suitable strategies and methods for reading effectively, it can also help in the way teachers tend to teach reading texts. In many school in Vietnam, teachers of English still use the traditional method to present a subject in the textbook and ask students to read whether silently or loudly, and then students have to answer the questions that follow. Thus, students naturally do not know how to read meaningfully, or have technical ways to read. The result is that the students have no motivation in reading lessons or even if they read, they show negative attitudes. They only read the textbook required to be able to perform well in the tests and routine exams. The students do not interact with the passage they read, nor they build relationships between the terms in the text to build up the meaning, and then to lead themselves towards reading comprehension. The students are not aware of the strategies that may help them in reading, because they are not taught to do so, nor are they immersed in reading activities to follow such strategies. On this premise, it is important to the learners to move beyond the text and use mind map strategy-one of the ways that may have a significant impact on the teaching reading process. Teachers can use mind maps to activate and tap students’ background knowledge because this strategy can easily be taught and implemented by the students in addition to its significant role in developing students' thinking skills and reading comprehension. Also, it can be a helpful reference for students to use in clarifying confusing points as they are reading. 2. Mind map strategy 2.1. History of mind maps Drawings have been used for ages by psychologists, engineers, educators and people in general as a tool for learning, organizing, memorizing, for visual thinking and brainstorming. According to historians, the first examples of mind maps were developed by Porphyry of Tyros, a noted thinker of the third century and then by Ramon Llull in 13th century. Later Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee and Winston Churchill also used these structures of Mind Map form. Many people have used image-centered radial graphic organization techniques in different areas of science, although the origin of mind mapping is attributed to the British psychology author Tony Buzan who developed mind mapping as a technique in the 1970s (Buzan, 2010). Buzan bases his knowledge on the whole brain thinking in order to create mind maps (MMs). For instance, from one image it is likely to evoke different associations that add the possibility of unleashing a greater range of associations from one central idea (Buzan, 2000). As humans speak and write in sentences, their ideas and information should be stored in a linear or list-like manner. However, the brain is multi-dimensional, perfectly capable of, and designed for, taking in information, that is to say non-linear. The brain, when listening to a series of spoken sentences, does not absorb information word by word or line by line, it takes information as a whole (Buzan, 2006). 2.2. Definition of mind maps Mind mapping was first coined in the UK by Tony Buzan in his 1974 book and BBC TV programme “Use Your Head”. A mind map is a visual representation of hierarchical information. Mind maps include a central idea or image surrounded by branches of associated topics or ideas. Branches are often in different colours to help students to remember the different branches and their associations. Subtopics are then added to the branches as ideas flow freely. Typically in a mind map, topic and subtopic text is one to two keywords, to provide a reminder for what the idea is. More information is then detailed in attached notes. As with other visual learning techniques, MMs provide a simplified overview of complex information allowing students to better understand relationships and to find new connections. Buzan (2006, p. 56) states that a mind mapping is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain. It is a visual map of ideas, laid out in a radial format around a central thought and it involves a unique combination of imagery, colours and visual-spatial arrangement which is proven to significantly improve recall when compared to conventional methods of note-taking and learning by rote. It needs imagination and association to activate our brain in remembering something. MMs also can be used in the educational context to “help learners to analyze and organize what they know or what they are learning” (Jonassen et al., 1997, p. 208) According to Ontoria (2004) mind mapping is a strategy or technique which also increments options for studying, learning and thinking, and also for adapting to the individual and cooperative knowledge construction. MMs are considered as an ideaorganization system due to the fact that MM is a graphic resource which integrates the use of the two hemispheres of the brain, allowing the individual a major capacity for comprehending, learning and memorializing things. It is for that reason that MMs are believed to be the technique which adopts better the way how the brain functions, and develops a high intellectual efficiency and level of comprehension. It is known that people learn in different ways and, because of this, mind maps are individual and personal, they bring the learning materials into what is most comfortable for students. Students are able to use color, icons, symbols, graphics and their own personal words to make sure they understand it well and recall information in an easier way (Buzan, 2006). Students can also develop metacognition assessing what they know and how they are developing their thoughts by using mind map applications to organize their ideas. One of the multiple reasons why mind maps work well is because they engage the visual intelligence and provide a way to navigate a much larger space of ideas in a smaller visual field (Troy, 2010). A well organized mind map should provide: (i) All the main sub-divisions of the essay; (ii) The key points to be mentioned in each; and (iii) The way those points relate to each other. •••"'* Buzan’s iMindMap™ Examples of mind mapping (Buzan’s Principles) 2.3. Mind map strategy Williams (1994) states that mind mapping enables students not only to visualize relationships, but to categorize them as well. As a direct teaching strategy that includes brainstorming and teacher-led discussions, it provides opportunities for schema development and enhancement, as well as prediction, hypothesizing and verification of content when used as a pre-reading activity. It is also referred to as a web or concept map. The teacher can introduce mind maps to the class in different appearances. They can be shown as circles, squares, or ovals with connecting lines. The students read an assigned text. Through class discussion, the teacher writes the main idea of the text in the middle of the top circle. The students share the supporting details of the main idea and place them in circles that are connected to the main idea by lines. This activity can also be used by students in cooperative groups or individually. Perhsson & Denner (1989) explain that mind mapping is a strategy for graphically representing concepts. Mind maps portray the schematic relations that compose a concept. It assumes that there are multiple relations between a concept and the knowledge that is associated with the concept. They continue that the major purpose of the mind map is to allow students to organize their prior knowledge into these formal relations, and thus to provide themselves a basis for understanding what they are about to read and study. Comprehension can be thought of as the elaboration and refinement of prior knowledge. What the mind map provides is a graphic structure of that knowledge to be used as the basis for organizing new ideas as they are understood. Harvey & Goudvis (2000) mention that mind mapping strategies are valuable instructional tools. Unlike many tools that just have one purpose, mind mapping is flexible and endless in application. One common trait found among mind mapping strategy is that they show the order and completeness of a student's thought process strengths and weaknesses of understanding become clearly evident. Many MMs show different aspects of an issue in close and also the big picture, since many MMs use short words or phrases, they are ideal for many types of learners, including English language readers with intermediate proficiency. Tree maps can be used to show classifications, analysis, structures, attributes, examples, and brainstorming. 2.4. Types of mind maps There are other types of Visual-Association-Tools (VATs) that are similar to mind maps in its organizational scheme, but quite different in assisting thinking, learning, and remembering. These VATs are Spider Diagrams, Bubble Diagrams, Concept Maps, Conceptual Diagrams, and Visual Metaphor. The difference between a mind map and any other kind of VATs, apart from its branch design, the starting point is a central idea which triggers into different sub-divisions. In addition, mind maps are colorful, drawings are allowed and only one-word concepts represent a complete idea. Below are some VATs samples: Spider Diagram Concept Map JL. "'TM” Bubble Diagram 1.0^ Hnutn tComnonlklinMi Irfjtmrtwilwd ■ 4.ITMIM1W1U> | Conceptual Diagram Types of mind maps 2.5. Parts of mind mapping technique There are some parts of mind mapping (Windura, 2008, pp. 77-86) namely; (1) central image, (2) key word, (3) basic ordering ideas, (4) branches, (4) colour and (5) picture. (i) Central Image A central image has to describe the main idea of a mind mapping and put it on the centre of the paper. It is to activate the students’ right brain, strengthen the students’ memory and make the learning activity enjoyable. (ii) Keyword A key word is a word that can lead a sentence or event. Identifying a familiar word in one’s own language or another language that sounds like the new word and using only one key word per line. It is as an urge to remember a lot of words for the students. It is strong noun or verb that creates image to trigger recall the memory. (iii) Basic Ordering Ideas Basic ordering ideas are the branches that collect sort information and it is connected to the central topic that radiate out from the centre. Making basic ordering ideas which can direct our mind to make mind mapping and it need creativity that encourages the students to understand the material. It is thick and thinner at the ends. It can be seen as headings for your topic and spread anywhere but do not become steep. (iv) Branches The branches should be curvy and in the same length as the words or pictures above it. These branches can be seen as sub headings. It is thinner branches and containing details. (v) Colour Colour is a very good memory sign and it involves the right brain in learning for long term memory. Colours encourage creativity and help in memorization. Adding plenty of colours via branches, map background and images will add life to your mind map. It facilitates learners’ word comprehension and remembrance. (vi) Picture In mind mapping, pictures can change or strengthen a key word that has been written before. 2.6. The benefits of mind maps A study by Wharton School (1981) proves the benefits of utilizing visual elements in presentations and tightly integrating them with words. Presenters who use visual language are perceived by the audience as more effective-they are clearer, more concise, more interesting, more professional, more credible and better prepared. Mento, Martinelli & Jones (1999) find that executive students using only their MM for presentations are able to handle challenging questions with confidence. They had better recall of the information because it had been captured and stored in an integrated, radiating manner rather than linearly. Studies by Holland, B., Holland, L & Davies (2003, 2004) find mind mapping to be a useful technique for helping students plan and structure their essays and projects more effectively. Students are able to improve the structure, coherence and, consequently, the quality of their written work and are able to draw value from the technique for project managing practical work. It is also supported by Raymond (2006), he adds that mind mapping can be a helpful reference for students to use in clarifying confusing points as they are reading. Once students are familiar with the nature of the mind maps, they can create their own as a during-reading or post-reading activity. A study by Farrand, Hussain and Hennessey (2002) prove that mind mapping improves the long-term memory of factual information by 10%. They report that “Mind maps provide an effective study technique when applied to written material” and are likely to “encourage a deeper level of processing” for better memory formation. With the same result, research by Toi (2009) shows that mind mapping can help children recall words more effectively than using lists, with improvements in memory of up to 32%. As mentioned before, the nature of mind maps is intimately connected with the function of the mind, and they can be used in nearly every activity where thought, recall or planning activities are involved (Buzan, 1984). Mind maps in nature can facilitate richer and broader associations and, hence, better learning (Buzan et al, 1993). It means that mind mapping is very useful media for creating attractive, and enjoyable learning that lead the successfulness of the students in learning English. The main aim of MM is to simplify different thought processes in reading and help learning become easier and complexities are reduced. By using mind maps, students can quickly identify and understand the structure of a subject. They can also see the way that pieces of information fit together. More than this, mind maps help them remember information, as they hold it in a format that our mind finds easy to recall and quick to review (Buzan, 2010). In addition, he also states that by using a mind mapping we can see what we are going to do and what we have done. So, Buzan (2010) concludes that mind maps are useful for: • Brainstorming - individually, and as a group. • Learning vocabulary. • Building a clear context before, during and after study sessions. • Organizing one’s thoughts before writing. • Summarizing information, and note taking. • Thinking through complex problems. • Presenting information in a format that shows the overall structure of your subject. • Studying and memorizing information, (p. 39) It means mind mapping may be used by the teacher or the students for planning the lesson, summarizing the lesson or recall to the lesson that the students have learnt. Moreover, Buzan (2010) also argues that mind mapping will lead the students to achieve good scores in their examination test. DePorter and Hemacki (cited in Abdurrahman, 2008, p. 172) present these advantages of using mind mapping technique: Flexible: Explaining something can be easy without confusing when adding the material based on the mind mapping. We can put the label and category of something based on our own opinion anywhere in the mind mapping. Concentrate on the Topic: Getting the subtopics what we talk about with a focus on the main ideas easily. Keeping focused on the keyword can help us to make it simple and it does not waste the time. Increasing Comprehension: Using mind mapping can ease understanding of the material. Mind mapping is a simple think -pattern so it does not make us confuse to understand what we have learned and easy to remember the material. Enjoyable: Imagination and creativity are unlimited in using mind mapping, so it can be funny to learn. By using pictures and colours, it makes the brain enjoy and excited in thinking something what we want about the material. 3. Reading comprehension 3.1. Definition of reading comprehension Reading comprehension plays an important role in teaching and learning a foreign language. It can be understood as the ability to obtain the information as required in the reading text as efficiently as possible. In other words, reading comprehension is essential ability to understand what has been read. According to Taylor (1980, p.l) “a student is good at comprehension” if “he can read accurately and efficiently, so as to get the maximum information of a text”. While Grellet (1981, p. 3) states that “reading comprehension or understanding a written text means extracting the required information from it as effectively as possible”. Though these opinions are different, they all have a common point, that is, reading comprehension is the process in which the readers, as they read, can recognize the graphic forms of the reading text and understand what is implied behind these forms. It is generally understood that reading comprehension is an interactive mental process between a reader’s linguistic knowledge, knowledge of the world, and knowledge about a given topic. So, comprehension should be the primary objective of the reading process. It includes not only the ability to decode words but also the awareness of their meaning. Furthermore, comprehension and decoding skills combine to allow an individual to make sense of a printed text. While reading, the reader constructs various representations of the text that are important for comprehension. Field, J. (2002) argues that those representations include the surface code (the exact words of the text), the text code (main ideas representing the meaning of the text), and the mental models (the way in which information is represented in mind) that are embedded in the text. According to Nunan (2003), reading comprehension is a fluent process of combining information from the text and the existing schemata to understand the meaning. Therefore, comprehension is a "construction process" because it involves all of the elements of the reading process working together as a text is read to create a representation of the text in readers’ mind. In this study, it means the extent to which the students comprehend the interrelationship between the ideas presented in the reading comprehension texts by the mind mapping strategy. Anderson and Pearson (1984) content that the reader comprehends a text by actively constructing meaning internally from interacting with the materials that are read. Basically, comprehension involves a special kind of thinking process. Turner (1988, p. 160) provides this description of thinking process on comprehension: Successful comprehension involves the reader discovering the meaning needed to achieve the particular purposes set for, or by, him. It may be finding a particular piece of information, solving a problem through reading, working to understand an idea, or following a set of directions. In addition, once students are able to decode, formal instruction should be continued to make them understand what they had read. This will enhance students thinking and reading process. Thus, comprehension monitoring skilled and unskilled awareness is important to develop students reading skills. This is supported by Paris & Myers (1984) who provide this description of skilled and unskilled readers: Skilled readers often engage in deliberate activities that require thinking, flexible strategies, and periodic self-monitoring. They think about the topic, look forward and backward in the passage, and check their own understanding as they read. Beginning readers or poor readers do not recruit and use these skills. Indeed novice readers often seem oblivious to these strategies and the need to use them. (p. 2083) In sum, comprehension is an important aspect to develop students’ ability to read with understanding. Besides that, comprehension is crucial because students are able to engage appropriate methods to highlight their reading skills. Moreover, it gives some insight to the instructors or teachers that how unskilled and skilled learners engaged with the reading skills and reading processes. 3.2. Problems in reading comprehension Reading ability is an important skill that is needed by learners. Yet, despite the specific need for this reading ability, there are a few learners still unable to read efficiently in English language. Most of the students read text slavishly with less understanding. There are several factors why students were not able to improve their reading ability. Yorio (1971) states that the reading problems of second language are due to largely imperfect knowledge of the language and native language interference in the reading process. According to him, the reading process is made considerably more difficult for the learners because of the new elements, knowledge of the native language, picking up graphic cues and relating them to syntactic, semantic and phonological cues. He summarizes that those elements as interference from native language and inadequate knowledge of the target language. According to Jolly (1978), learners can read well once they have adequate knowledge in their first language. He highlights that students will comprehend easily when they know how to transfer old skill-first language reading skill. He further explains that, most of the students fail to read adequately just because they do not apply their first language reading strategy. This view is supported by Coady (1979) We have only recently come to realize that many students have very poor reading habits to transfer from their first language, and thus, in many cases, we must teach reading skills which should have been learned in fist language instruction, (p. 12) Furthermore, Clarke (1979) states if the reading process is basically the same in all languages we would logically expect good native language readers to be good second language reader. It is clear that the poor reading in second language is due to not only poor reading ability in the first language but also incorrect reading strategies. Thus, learner would be encouraged to adopt successful reading strategies such as mind maps to infer or imply the meaning of the text. 3.3. Stages of teaching reading comprehension Ur (1996, p. 148) considers effective reading comprehension as a process combining such elements as: • a clear purpose in mind • an enhanced motivation • appropriate reading comprehension strategies based on the purposes and motivation • good prediction • sufficient background information and vocabulary • close attention to the significant bits • fairly high speed It is common knowledge that a reading lesson consists of three important stages: Pre-reading (Before you read), While-reading (While you read) and Post- reading (After you read). Obviously, each stage has its own characteristics and time allocation. Cook (1989, p. 14) shows that effective reading comprehension would be best reflected if we bring distinct cognitive behaviors of good versus poor readers before, during and after reading an assignment into a comparison. 3.3.1. Pre-reading This stage is carried out before the students begin reading the text. It plays an essential part in the whole process of a reading lesson, because it is difficult to ask students to read the text without the preparation that involves such activities as pre-reading questions, pre-teaching vocabulary. According to William (1984, p. 37), the purposes of the pre - reading stage are: (i) to introduce and arouse learners’ interest in the topic (ii) to motivate learners by giving a reason for reading (iii) to provide some language preparation for the text Normally, pre-reading stage often makes up about one-tenth of the time allocation for the whole lesson. However, depending on each lesson, it may last shorter or longer. Before delivering activities for this stage, the teacher needs to pay careful attention to the objectives of the lesson, the situation of teaching and learning, the students’ needs. 3.3.2. While-reading William (1984, p. 38) states that while-reading stage is the main part of a reading lesson with the following specific aims: (i) to help understanding of the writer’s purpose (ii) to help understanding of the text structure (iii) to clarify text content The teacher, at the while-reading stage, needs to help their students comprehend the text thoroughly while the students have to apply to the best their reading skills like skimming, scanning, guessing, etc. to understand the text as well as the writer’s purposes conveyed through the reading text. Apparently, time allocation for this is nearly two-thirds of the whole lesson. 3.3.3. Post- reading It is the last step of a reading lesson. It is the time for students’ reproduction. What they reproduce will reflect how well they comprehend the text. In William’s view (1984, p. 39), the post-reading stage is aimed at consolidating or reflecting upon what has been read and relating the text to the learners’ own knowledge, interests or views. Normally, it takes ten or fifteen minutes to complete all activities at this stage. To conclude, the above-mentioned stages are essential for a reading lesson. However, it is not necessary to carry out all these stages mechanically on every occasion. Depending on the purposes of a reading lesson, the teacher may apply these stages as well as allocate time for each stage appropriately. 4. Using mind map strategy to facilitate reading comprehension Basing on the knowledge concerning the mind mapping, reading comprehension and some recent research, teaching reading comprehension by using mind mapping is effective and applicable. We can use this technique at different stages , levels and by many ways. Here are some useful applications of using mind map strategy in teaching reading comprehension: 4.1 A mind map is one type of graphic organizers. It helps students visually organize and graphically show the relationship between one piece of information and another. This strategy has been identified as an excellent technique for increasing vocabulary and improving reading comprehension. As a pre-reading activity, mind mapping can be used to activate prior knowledge and to introduce key vocabulary words. As a post-reading activity, words, categories, and new concepts can be added to the original maps to enhance understanding. 4.2 Mind maps can be particularly useful when learning and teaching and especially in English, sentence structure which can be confusing for students. However, mind maps try to avoid confusion by applying “chunking” language, which can be retained easily, using words and short phrases instead of long sentences as most of learners are used to. Experiencing language as individual words and phrases, connected spatially, accompanied by meaningful images or symbols, can be much easier than seeing words embedded in subjective sentences and paragraphs. 4.3 Mind mapping technique is considered as one of the most successful ways for organizing and clarifying ideas. Moreover, MM provides a useful tool for teachers to be able to prepare lessons and carry them out effectively. It has also been demonstrated that using MMs in teaching allows teachers to get through students in a way that they can understand contents easily. Mind maps can help learners to find their appropriate system of learning and study since MMs are based on the elaboration of personal and individual ideas. Teenagers and adults are free to create and address their learning process in a way that best suits them. 4.4. Mind mapping has been shown to be a beneficial learning/teaching technique for native speakers of English at all grade levels in regular and remedial classrooms as well as for those who are learning-disabled. Also, students who use mind mapping can manifest considerable improvement in reading comprehension, written expression, and vocabulary development. Some areas of correlation between what a mind mapping activity does and the principles and objectives of communicative language teaching (CLT). For the students, the maps provide a graphic conceptualization of their randomly given ideas. There are three places in a lesson where mind mapping may be used as he clarifies: (1) As a pre-assignment strategy to activate students' prior knowledge or to help the teacher in assessing the students' readiness to do the assignment. (2) As a strategy to allow students to record what they are learning during the assignment. (3) As a post-assignment strategy to allow them to integrate or synthesize what they have studied. 4.5We can use concept mapping ( Map correction, Scaffold fading and map generalization) to enhance reading comprehension and summarization 5. Some Recommendations for applying mind mapping in teaching reading comprehension successfully 5.1. For students • Students should be fully engaged in the reading process: Pre; while and post -reading activities and drawing mind maps. • Students need an environment that promotes reading and provides opportunities for individuals to work. • The students are also recommended to make mind map of their lessons at home after school. So, the students must be active both in the classroom and outside of the classroom for reviewing their lessons, for example, by summarizing, mapping, re-reading the material by themselves or by reviewing them in peer learning, and group learning at home. 5.1 For teachers Training students to use the innovative reading strategies and techniques in their classroom such as the mind map strategy is important. • Using mind mapping technique in the process of teaching and learning of English • Together with creating mind maps, teachers can, to some degree, provide students with some technical ways of how to organize the reading process and encourage students to gather ideas and develop them in well organized mind maps. • Familiarizing students with the mind mapping strategy by providing them with some models of maps. Mind maps reflect the content of the reading text. Therefore, before teachers guide students to make mind maps, they must make sure that students understand the materials well so that they can generate the good key words. Otherwise, the mind map would be confusing for the students. • Teachers should play a critical role to encourage learners to read accurately and use proper strategy when engaging with any reading comprehension tasks. Therefore, the English language teachers are recommended to apply this model as one of alternatives teaching techniques to teach reading in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to utilize their teaching skills and learning strategies during the teaching and learning process. • Moreover, accepting the importance of mind map strategy in reading comprehension shed lights for the teachers to plan effective reading instruction for the poor readers. It is known that poor readers could not adapt to complicated techniques. In this case, learners with poor language ability would find it difficult to develop their ability and motivation in reading. The findings of this study suggested that implementing mind maps in language classroom especially in reading classes will enhance poor readers’ reading ability. Due to this, teachers should use simple techniques for poor readers to facilitate their reading comprehension. 6. Conclusion In general, the MM strategy is a valuable addition to L2 reading comprehension. The MM method can enhance learners’ ability to comprehend the text at its discourse level, focus the readers’ attention on the key content of the text. Besides, it was also improved that MM gave students the opportunity to link the existing knowledge with the new one and they might feel they could understand the reading better. As a result, the students’ reading achievement is improved optimally. Specifically, MM is a powerful tool for learners and it is important and essential for reading comprehension. Using mind mapping can help teachers, learners and researchers in handling and improving the reading comprehension strategy as well as contributed its role in training the students to be more confident and creative in learning process. We do hope that all of the information relating to mind map strategy and reading comprehension would be a kind of aid for developing new approaches to improving EFL learner’s reading comprehension.