Using Concept Mapping to Teach Young EFL Learners Reading Skills
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Many English as a foreign language (EFL) students fail to be effective readers because they lack knowledge of vocabulary and appropriate reading strategies. We believe that teaching proper reading strategies can help second-language learners overcome their reading problems, especially when the instruction begins in elementary school. Effective reading strategies “provide the means to tackle complex problems in more efficient ways” and allow students to build a “path to comprehension” (McNamara 2009, 34). One effective strategy is concept mapping, which is the use of visual tools to help readers understand material by transferring “the written content into concrete images” (Liu, Chen, and Chang 2010, 442). Through concept-mapping activities, learners connect previously learned and newly learned ideas onto a visual representation, or “map.” Research shows that concept maps have positive effects on children’s language skills; for example, Liu et al. (2011) describe how concept mapping “prompts learners to reflect to construct meaning based on their observations and knowledge,” thereby helping “students develop and apply the knowledge about storytelling” (873). In this article, we describe two reading lessons that use concept mapping to produce beneficial effects for elementary school students.
BACKGROUND
Concept mapping is related to the pedagogical theory of constructivism, which asserts that productive learning occurs when students create meaning on their own by connecting previous knowledge and experience with newly formed knowledge and experience. According to Kalhor and Shakibaei (2012), concept mapping (1) helps students understand the framework of the subject being taught; (2) clarifies the relationships and connections among all instructional content; (3) reinforces knowledge retention; and (4) enhances an instructor’s teaching objectives. Anderson (1991) stresses the importance of describing reading strategies for students (e.g., visualization and applying background knowledge and experience) and of showing learners how to use them. Therefore, when it comes to teaching EFL reading, it is crucial for a teacher to act as facilitator to help learners construct their own meaning as they apply their current knowledge to new ideas.
Author:
Adeline Teo; Yun F. Shaw; Jimmy Chen; and Derek Wang
Downloadable Resources
| File | Format | Size | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| etf_54_2_pg20-26.pdf | 181.04kb | Download |
English Teaching Forum 2016, Volume 54, Number 2
What is a mind map? How can you use concept mind mapping, collaborative mapping, and human mind mapping in your classroom? Find out in the latest issue of English Teaching Forum.