English

Tarkashvand Zahra

doi:10.5897/err2015.2158

Abstract

While learning English plays an essential role in today’s life, vocabulary achievement is helpful to overcome the difficulties of commanding the language. Drawing on data from three months experimental work, this article explores how two mapping strategies affect the learning vocabularies in EFL male learners. While females were studied before, this article focuses on how Iranian male students at Intermediate -level can improve their vocabulary achievement by using Mapping strategies of concept maps and mind maps. It was attempted to know whether gender plays a role or not. Therefore 62 male intermediate EFL learners were selected among a total number of 100. Based on the results, the students were randomly assigned to two experimental groups with 31 participants in each. Both groups underwent the same amount of teaching time by the researcher/teacher during 16 sessions of treatment which included concept mapping for the first group and mind mapping for the second. A posttest was administered at the end of the treatment to both groups and their mean scores on the test were compared through an independent samples t-test. The result showed that male learners same as females in the mind mapping group benefited significantly more than those in the concept mapping group in terms of improving their vocabulary achievement. Key words: Argument mapping, concept mapping, mind mapping, vocabulary achievement , meaningful learning ,vocabulary learning.

Highlights

Learning English these days is a widespread activity and obviously vocabulary plays an important role in facilitating this process
The researcher set out her work while she was aware of the applicability of these mapping strategies in the field of language learning and “vocabulary achievement "
In line with the findings of the previous works which have established the effectiveness of these strategies including concept mapping, mind mapping and argument mapping (Budd, 2033; Mento et al, 1999; Reason, 2010)

Summary

Introduction

Learning English these days is a widespread activity and obviously vocabulary plays an important role in facilitating this process. Tarkashvand investigate ways to improve direct instruction of foreign language vocabulary; how to teach vocabulary and use it in a productive way have become the main concerns of learners as well as teachers (Tamjid and Moghadam, 2012). These ways must help both groups in increasing the speed of learning and longer permanence in the memory. When EFL learners start to read a text, what comes to their mind is how to learn and recall the new vocabulary meanings (Yu Ling, as cited in Heidari et al, 2012)

Methods

Results

Conclusion