An Experimental Study On Mind-map Based Vocabulary Teaching In Primary School

As a basic part of English language, vocabulary teaching plays a significant role in English teaching in primary school. It takes an essential position in the four skills, which is, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Therefore, teachers should pay more attention to vocabulary teaching. However, students get difficulties in vocabulary mastery. There are many factors that cause the students? difficulties in learning. One of them is the method given by the teacher. Teaching English as a foreign language requires the use of effective method. Mind map is a visual tool for the knowledge representing. The experiment is carried out under the theoretical framework of The Framework Theory and The Schema Theory. This research attempts to use mind map teaching mode to improve students? vocabulary mastery. By designing the vocabulary mind map with cognitive habits of students, this study aims to testify whether mind map teaching mode can improve students? vocabulary mastery. In addition, this research aims to find out whether the students get interested in vocabulary learning.Sixty-three participants are involved in the teaching experiment, coming from two classes of Grade Five of a primary school in Shunde. One of the classes is composed of thirty-two students. It is used as the experimental group. While the other class, which includes thirty-one students, is used as the control group. The two groups can be regarded as homogeneous, since all the factors concerning students? English learning showed only slight difference before the teaching experiment.The teaching experiment lasted for twelve weeks and was done to find out answers to the following research questions:1. Can mind map teaching mode stimulate students? interests in vocabulary learning?2. Can mind map teaching mode improve students? vocabulary mastery?During the teaching experiment, the experimental group received the mind map teaching and the control group received the PPP mode in the experiment. The mind map teaching mode being used in the teaching experiment was Five-step teaching mode for which includes entering situation; establish shared goals; cooperative learning; independent exploration and assessment.The data was collected by two tests and a questionnaire. By making a through digging of the data, the author finds out that mind map teaching mode showed better teaching effects. It can improve students? vocabulary mastery more efficiently than the PPP mode does.The study indicates that mind map is an efficient way in vocabulary teaching. Both learners? test scores and their ability of learning vocabulary are improved. Therefore, mind map teaching mode is worth trying in teaching practice. Finally, the author points out the limitations of this study and puts forward some pedagogical implications on mind map applied to the teaching of English vocabulary.