USING MIND MAPS IN THE PRE WRITING STAGE TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY TRAN THI THU HIEN USING MIND MAPS IN THE PRE-WRITING STAGE TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

VINH UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI THU HIEN

USING MIND MAPS IN THE PRE-WRITING STAGE TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS

MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

Vinh, 2017

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

VINH UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI THU HIEN

USING MIND MAPS IN THE PRE-WRITING STAGE TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS

Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

Supervisor: Assoc.Prof.Dr NGÔ ĐÌNH PHƯƠNG

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that the thesis entitled “Using mind maps in the pre-writing stage toimprove high school students’ writing skills” is my own work, and that the thesis hasnot been submitted to any university or institution

Vinh, June 2017

Author’s signature:

Tran Thi Thu Hien

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ABSTRACT

Writing still presents a big challenge for the majority of students at high schools

As teachers, we feel the responsibility to find new ways to improve this skill amongother skills Teachers, in the process of teaching writing need strategies that can attractthe students' interest and render the task of writing more enjoyable To this end, MindMapping, a technique developed by Tony Buzan (1960s), has proved to be a promisinginstrument for the teacher and the learner alike The principal objective of the researchwas making an effort to investigate the impact of applying Mind Mapping technique as

a pre-writing tool on enhancement of high school learners’ writing ability To do so, 30

high school learners at the same level were divided into two experimental and controlgroups Prior to treatment, participants of the both groups were given a pretest in order

to ensure comparability of their writing skill Having introduced the mind mappingtechnique to members of the experimental group and finished the treatment period, aposttest was administered to measure the effect of the intervention During the treatmentperiod, participants were instructed how to make mind maps work in generating ideas,connecting them by the use of codes, colors and images and finally creating a well-organized piece of writing The results showed that the experimental groupoutperformed the control one

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I am fully aware that this thesis cannot be finished without other people’s help

In this opportunity, I would like to thank all of those who have supported and guided me

in the process of writing this thesis

Firstly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr NgoDinh Phuong, for his support, valuable criticism, guidance, and encouragement

I am also grateful to my colleagues and students of K71 A1 and K71 D3 at PhanDinh Phung high school without whom I was not able to finish the study

My thanks go to my beloved family and friends to whom I feel indebted for theirgiving me strength and motivation to fulfill this thesis

Finally, I hope that this thesis will be useful for the readers although it is still farfrom being perfect Therefore, I greatly appreciate any criticisms, ideas, and suggestionsfor the improvement of this thesis

1.2

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4.2The result from the eight topics on organization and ideadevelopment

4.2.1 The comparison between the average score of eight sessions for bothgroups 39

4.2.2 The comparison between the average score of the first session and theaverage of

1.2.3

1.2.4

1.2.5 Table 4.13 The differences between the four initial

sessions’ score and the

1.2.6

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8

Language EFL: English as a Foreign

Language CLT: Communicative

Language Teaching ELLs: English

language learners L1: First Language

L2: Second Language P: Participant S:

Session

1.2.16 E.G:

Experimental Group

C.G: Control Group

1.2.17 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.2.18 This chapter is written with the purpose of giving the rationale, objectives

of the study, the research questions, the significance of the study, the scope of the study,

an overview of research methodology and finally introducing the outline of the thesis 1.1 Rationale

1.2.19 English is the fourth most widely spoken native language in the world,and in terms of sheer number of speakers, it is the most spoken official language in theworld It is the primary language used in international affairs The English language hasofficial status even in nations where it is not the primary spoken language English isindisputably the primary language of global trade and commerce In many countries,most tourism authorities and other officials in contact with the public speak English tointeract and engage with tourists and immigrants Knowing English opens job andemployment opportunities in many countries and markets Therefore, the necessity forlearning and mastering its different skills and sub-skills is deeply felt

1.2.20 However, one of its most essential and challenging components is writingwhich is found a complex, boring, and devastating task by most EFL/ESL learners.Writing is a difficult skill to acquire in the writers' native languages and apparently thedifficulty gets huger as far as the second or foreign languages are concerned

1.2.21 One of the major problems of learners is getting started while having thethoughts and ideas in their minds well-organized and developed Although in order tocreate a rich piece of writing, lexical, mechanical, and organizational aspects should betaken into account and work simultaneously, some EFL learners stick to the first two atthe expense of the organizational part Such a thing ends in losing track of what theyhave in mind regarding the topic they are supposed to write about Obviously, acluttered and poorly-organized piece of writing leads to losing the message that the

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learner intends to impart to the reader According to Byrd (2011) unfortunately moststudents do not take the time to form and organize their ideas in an L2 writing project,rather they simply aim for the final product, thinking that one draft is enough.

1.2.22 The inability of EFL learners to organize their ideas and thoughts issometimes due to lack of their knowledge about different techniques in this respectwhich can be applied during the pre-writing process Consequently, looking for atechnique to make writing a fascinating and interesting experience for EFL learners and

to improve their ability to write well, specifically with regard to the organizationalaspect, is heavily required One technique which can be used in this respect is mind-mapping Mc Griff (cited in Al Naqbi, 2011) states mind maps are an excellent way tohelp learners organize knowledge, to empower themselves to better comprehend the keyconcepts and principles in lectures, readings, or other instructional materials It is seen

as a powerful tool to help students overcome problems with their writing skills.Therefore, by mastering this technique, learners can have the ability to create andorganize their ideas and thoughts, to write more smoothly with higher accuracy If youjust start writing paragraphs, it is easy to forget the main idea you presented in theintroduction whilst filling out details of supporting paragraphs But if you have a mindmap to refer back, you can quickly and easily check the relevancy of what you aretyping (Fotheringham, 2012)

1.2.23 For high school students, developing strong writing skills not only helpstheir high school grades and final examination results, but also prepares them for theiracademic and professional futures Whether writing essays, taking notes or applying forscholarships, high school students must learn to develop their ideas and proofread theirwritten work before sharing it Hence, it can be assumed that writing skill is one of themost important skills in the teaching of English in high schools

1.2.24 As a teacher of Phan Dinh Phung high school, from my observation and

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my own teaching experience, it is true that students have many difficulties in theirwriting lessons And what troubles them most is how to start, how to organise anddevelop the ideas Consequently, writing tasks are found to be struggling and boring.Therefore, one of the challenges to the teacher is to find out the answer to the question

“How to make students of English get involved actively and effectively in writinglessons?”

1.2.25 For the above-mentioned reasons, the author aims at conducting the studyentitled “Using mind maps in the pre-writing stage to improve high school students’writing skills”

1.2 Aims of the study

1.2.26 The purpose of this research is to investigate if using mind maps in the prewriting phase helps to improve high school students' writing ability

1.3 Research questions

1.2.27 In order to meet the aim of the study, the following research questions aregenerated:

- Does the use of mind maps improve EFL learners’ organizational skill in writing?

- Does the use of mind maps enhance EFL learners’ ability of developing ideas?

1.4 Scope of the study

1.2.28 Among many strategies to improve writing skill for EFL learners,mindmapping is considered to be one of the most important ones This study isconcerned with the effectiveness of mind maps in pre-writing phase on enhancing highschool students’ writing skills Only two aspects were examined: organization and ideadevelopment

1.5 Methods of the study

1.2.29 The main method used in the study was experimental method Two groups

of high students in Phan Dinh Phung high school involved in experimental process All

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comments, remarks, recommendations and conclusion were based on the data analysis.The combination of different instruments used in this study helped to gain reliable data,from which the researcher could have a closer look on how mind maps affect highschool learners’writing skills.

1.6 Design of the thesis

1.2.30The thesis consists of the following parts:

1.2.31 Chapter 1: Introduction

1.2.32This part introduce the issues leading to the study, including rationale, aims, methods, scope, and organization of the study

1.2.33 Chapter 2: Literature review

1.2.34This chapter provides theoretical background relevant to the topic such as the definition of mind mapping and pre-writing, stages in a writing lesson, the

importance of pre-writing, common types of mind maps and its roles in improving

writing skills Chapter 3: Research methodology

1.2.35 This part presents the study and these include, research questions, participants,material, procedures and results

1.2.36 Chapter 4: Data analysis and discussion

1.2.37 This chapter presents their analysis and interpretation

1.2.38 Chapter 5: Conclusion

1.2.39Main points and contents of the study are summarized based on the results

of the study The implication of the study and the recommendation for further researchwill be presented

1.2.40 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

1.2.41 This chapter discusses the review of related theories underlying this

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research The discussion covers the basic concept of pre-writing, the importance ofprewriting, and pre-writing strategies The next part of the chapter includes a briefdescription of mindmapping, some common types of mind maps, how to make a mindmap and its roles in improving the writing skills.

2.1 Writing

2.1.1 Definition

1.2.42 Writing is an activity of exploring opinions and ideas into words Itincludes the organization of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences into coherent andcohesive paragraphs and texts There is no doubt that writing is the most difficult skillfor all language users: foreign, second, and even for first language Writing needs a wellpreparation and a lot of practices According to Richards (2002: 309), written language

is complex at the level of the clause Writing consists of many constituent parts: content,organization, originality, style, fluency, accuracy, or using appropriate rhetorical forms

of discourse

1.2.43 In relation to writing, Brown (2001: 335) states that writing makes theproduct through thinking, drafting, and revising It means that in producing writtenlanguage, the writer should follow those steps to produce a final product

1.2.44 Writing is a skill that needs a process so that ideas that have beenpossessed can be expressed through writing It needs in teaching-learning process tomade the teaching-learning process can be done well Certainly, writing in English is noteasy Expressing ideas is not enough, because the ideas still have to be told in English.For that reason, a technique that can support the learning process is needed

2.1.2 Writing Skills

1.2.45 Heaton (1975: 135) states a view that the writing skills are complex andsometimes difficult to teach, requiring mastery not only of grammatical and rhetoricaldevices but also of conceptual and judgmental elements The varied skills are groupedinto five general components or main areas They are:

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1) Language use: the ability to write correct and appropriate sentences.

2) Mechanical skills: the ability to use correctly those conventions peculiar to thewritten language - e.g punctuation, spelling

3) Treatment of content: the ability to think creatively and develop thoughts,excluding all irrelevant information

4) Stylistic skills: the ability to manipulate sentences and paragraphs, and uselanguage effectively

5) Judgment skills: the ability to write in an appropriate manner for a particularpurpose with a particular audience in mind, together with an ability to select,organize and order relevant information

1.2.46 Matthews, et al (1985: 71) states that writing skills have several specificskills which are grouped under five headings; they are graphical or visual skills,grammatical skills, expressive or stylistic skills, rhetoric skills, and organisational skills.Details of each heading are as follows:

1) Graphical or Visual Skills Under this first heading, graphical or visual skills,there are sub-headings, i.e writing graphemes, spelling, punctuation andcapitalization, and format

* Writing graphemes is the use of letters of the alphabet, in upper or lower case asappropriate, joined in the standard way This skill is especially difficult forstudents whose first language is written in a different alphabet

* Spelling As a result of the first language interferes, students may apply thephonetic conventions of their native language to spelling English words

* Punctuation and capitalization Here students’ attention needs to be drawn to the

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fact that conventions differ from language to language.

* Format, such as the layout of a letter, or memo Again these differ from onelanguage to another

2) Grammatical skills refer to the students’ ability to use a variety of sentencepatterns and constructions

3) Expressive or stylistic skills refer to the students’ ability to express precisemeanings in a variety of styles or registers In order to do this, they will not onlyhave to be able to select appropriate vocabulary, but also appropriate sentencepatterns and structures for the written medium

4) Rhetorical skills is the students’ ability to use linguistic cohesion devices such asconnectives, reference words, ellipsis, and so on, in order to link parts of a textinto logically related sequences

5) Organisational skills are similar to those involved in rhetorical skills above, buthere they concern with the organisation of a piece of information into paragraphsand texts This involves the sequencing of ideas as well as the students’ ability toreject irrelevant information and summarize relevant points

1.2.47 Another classification is suggested by Brown (2001: 343) which identifiesand enumerates micro skills of writing as follows: (1) producing graphemes andorthographic patterns of English; (2) producing writing at an efficient rate of speed tosuit the purpose; (3) producing an acceptable core of words and using appropriate wordorder patterns; (4) using acceptable grammatical systems (e.g., tense, agreement,pluralisation), patterns, and rules; (5) expressing a particular meaning in differentgrammatical forms; (6) using cohesive devices in written discourse; (7) using therhetorical forms and conventions of written discourse; (8) appropriately accomplishing

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the communicative functions of written texts according to form and purpose; (9)conveying links and connections between events and communicate such relations asmain idea, supporting idea, new information, given information, generalization, andexemplification; distinguish between literal and implied meaning when writing; (10)correctly conveying culturally specific references in the context of the written text;develop and use a battery of writing strategies, such as accurately assessing theaudience’s interpretation, using prewriting devices, writing with fluency in the firstdrafts, using paraphrases and synonyms, soliciting peer and instructor feedback, andusing feedback for revising and editing.

1.2.48 So, it can be concluded that writing is the act of expressing ideas orthoughts in communication using graphic symbols which are arranged based on certainrules and conventions The rules and conventions are concerning with the aspects ofcontent, organization, word choice, language use, and mechanics Aspect of content istalking about the ability to think creatively and develop thoughts, excluding allirrelevant information Organization is the logical order of sentences presented so thatthe arrangement of the sentences makes sense; it involves unity and coherence.Vocabulary is the ability to choose and use wide range of proper words, and idioms.Language use is the ability to apply sentence structure and other grammatical features.1.2.49 Mechanical aspect is related with the ability to use correctly those conventionspeculiar to the written language, counting punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

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1.2.53 In composition, the term prewriting refers to any activity that helps

a writer think about a topic, determine a purpose, analyze an audience, and prepare to

write Prewriting is closely related to the art of invention in classical rhetoric.

1.2.54 "The objective of prewriting," according to Roger Caswell and Brenda Mahler, "is to prepare students for writing by allowing them to discover what they know and what else they need to know

1.2.55 Prewriting invites exploration and promotes the motivation to

write" (Strategies for Teaching Writing, 2004).

1.2.56 "Prewriting involves anything you do to help yourself decide what your central idea is or what details, examples, reasons, or content you will include Freewriting, brainstorming, and clustering/ mindmapping are types of prewriting

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Thinking, talking to other people, reading related material, outlining or organizing ideas-all are forms of prewriting Obviously, you can prewrite at any time in the writing process Whenever you want to think up new material, simply stop what you are doing and start using one of these techniques "

1.2.57 (Stephen McDonald and William Salomone, The Writer's Response, 5th

ed Wadsworth, 2012)

1.2.58 "Prewriting plans are not carved in stone; they are simply tools for

generating and organizing ideas Writers frequently change their minds as they write, eliminating some details, adding and changing others That's why some writers say that 'prewriting' is a misnomer; they return to their plans over and over during all stages of the writing process, often revising and adjusting the plans as they go."

1.2.59 ( Lori Jamison Rog, Marvelous Mini-essons for Teaching Intermediate Writing International Reading Association, 2011)

2.2.2 The importance of pre-writing.

1.2.60 Pre-writing consists of four main steps: choosing a topic, considering apurpose, identifying the audience, and gathering and organizing ideas (Elbow, 1998).Effective prewriting makes the rest of the writing process easier and less stressful

1.2.61 The more time and effort you put into prewriting, the less time youwill have to spend on the rest of the writing process If you develop a plan before youstart writing, your writing will start with a purpose and a structure You won't slog yourway through an agonizing complete draft and then realize that your topic isn't fleshedout, you have no purpose, and you dislike your stance When you prewrite, you cancreate a projection of your final project before you even start "At a glance, you can seewhere you're heading, and if you don't like it, you can change it in the prewriting stage,before you've invested a lot of time and effort" (Raimes, 1983)

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1.2.62 The benefits of prewriting are not limited to the English classroom, oreven to writing Prewriting teaches organizational skills It teaches students how toapply thinking, planning, and organizing skills to other learning tasks Acquiring theseskills reduces anxiety, not only from writing, but from all testing in general Getting inthe habit of using prewriting activities changes the way people approach a project of anysort, whether it be a research paper, an engineering project, or even an art project (youbrainstorm ideas, select an appropriate form, research technique, and create an outline,

or visual plan, before you start on the final product)

1.2.63 Prewriting is one of the most important parts of submitting a successfulpiece of writing However, there are so many high school students who do not take theproper amount of time to pre-write their essays As a result, many students becomedisappointed when their grades are not what they are expecting for Whether manystudents are lazy or just do not know how to pre-write, it is always important to prewriteyour work

1.2.64 When students take time to prewrite their essays, it helps them to formmore coherent and well-developed thoughts When you are writing an essay, manyprofessors will look for thought fluency and development of paragraphs The prewritingwill allow students to take time and think about what they want to write and say aboutthe topic It also allows them to plan out how many sentences each paragraph shouldapproximately be

1.2.65 There are many students who have trouble starting their essays anddeveloping a fully articulated thesis statement Well, any type of prewriting exercise willhelp students brainstorm their introductions and thesis statement The thesis statement isperhaps one of the most important parts of the essay because it tells the reader exactlywhat the essay will explain, show, and prove Therefore, it is important to take time and

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think about the thesis statement Prewriting will allow students time to do so.

1.2.66 Another important aspect of pre-writing is the notion of organization.When students prewrite, it gives them the opportunity to organize all of theirparagraphs Furthermore, it gives them the opportunity to decide how they want to layout their ideas and the order that their ideas should appear Prewriting will help studentsdetermine what belongs in their paragraphs and what does not

1.2.67 There are many students who suffer from writer’s block When studentstake the time to pre-write, it can actually help break the block because pre-writingallows the thoughts to flow out freely When students take the time to pre-write, manywill notice that they do not struggle with their official essays as much Therefore, it isimportant to pre-write all essays and important to find the type of pre-writing that ismost suitable for each individual student

1.2.68 Prewriting can also prevent errors When students do prewriting, it canprevent grammatical and mechanical errors in their final drafts It is important that allessay are free of these errors, and pre-writing will help with that When students do notprewrite and just attempts to start writing the essay, they only focus on trying to stayorganized and on topic; therefore, they do not stay fully focused on their grammar andmechanics Therefore, when students prewrite, they have an idea of what to write fortheir essays, which means they can focus on grammar and mechanics much more

2.2.3 Prewriting techniques

1.2.69 Pre-writing strategies use writing to generate and clarify ideas While many writers have traditionally created outlines before beginning writing, there are other possible prewriting activities Five useful strategies are brainstorming, clustering, free writing, looping, and journalists' questions

1.2.70

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1.2.72 Brainstorming, also called listing, is a process of generating a lot of informationwithin a short time by building on the association of previous terms you havementioned

• Jot down all the possible terms that emerge from the general topic you arethinking about This procedure works especially well if you work in a team Allteam members can generate ideas, with one member acting as scribe Don't worryabout editing or throwing out what might not be a good idea Simply write down

1.2.74 ^merit s

1.2.75 Clustering is also called mind mapping or idea mapping It is a strategy thatallows you to explore the relationships between ideas

• Put the subject in the center of a page Circle or underline it

• As you think of other ideas, link the new ideas to the central circle with lines

• As you think of ideas that relate to the new ideas, add to those in the same way.1.2.76 The result will look like a web on your page Locate clusters of interest toyou, and use the terms you attached to the key ideas as departure points for your paper.1.2.77 Clustering is especially useful in determining the relationship betweenideas You will be able to distinguish how the ideas fit together, especially where there is

an abundance of ideas Clustering your ideas lets you see them visually in a differentway, so that you can more readily understand possible directions your paper may take

1.2.78 Freewriting

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Improv e

Problem

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1.2.80 Free-writing is a process of generating a lot of information by writingnon-stop It allows you to focus on a specific topic, but forces you to write so quicklythat you are unable to edit any of your ideas

• Free-write on the assignment or general topic for several 5-10 minutes non-stop.Force yourself to continue writing even if nothing specific comes to mind Thisfree- writing will include many ideas; at this point, generating ideas is what isimportant, not the grammar or the spelling

• After you've finished free-writing, look back over what you have written andhighlight the most prominent and interesting ideas; then you can begin all overagain, with a tighter focus You will narrow your topic and, in the process, youwill generate several relevant points about the topic

1.2.81 Looping

1.2.2

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1.2.3

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1.2.83 Looping is a free-writing technique that allows you to increasingly focusyour ideas in trying to discover a writing topic You loop one 5-10 minute free-writingafter another, so you have a sequence of free-writings, each more specific than the other.The same rules that apply to free-writing apply to looping: write quickly, do not edit,and do not stop.

1.2.84 Free-write on an assignment for 5-10 minutes Then, read through yourfree- writing, looking for interesting topics, ideas, phrases, or sentences Circle thoseyou find interesting A variation on looping is to have a classmate circle ideas in yourfree- writing that interests him or her

1.2.85 Then free-write again for 5-10 minutes on one of the circled topics Youshould end up with a more specific free-writing about a particular topic

1.2.86 Loop your free-writing again, circling another interesting topic, idea,phrase, or sentence When you have finished four or five rounds of looping, you willbegin to have specific information that indicates what you are thinking about aparticular topic You may even have the basis for a tentative thesis or an improved ideafor an approach to your assignment when you have finished

1.2.87

1.2.88 5 Wh-questions andl Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? You can use

1.2.4 The Journalists' Questions

1.2.5

1.2.6 Journalists traditionally ask six questions when they are writing assignments,

1.2.89 questions to explore the topic you are writing about for an assignment A key tousing the journalists' questions is to make them flexible enough to account for thespecific details of your topic For instance, if your topic is the rise and fall of the PugetSound tides and its effect on salmon spawning, you may have very little to say aboutWho? if your focus doesn't account for human involvement On the other hand, sometopics may be heavy on the Who? especially if human involvement is a crucial part ofthe topic Possible generic questions you can ask using the six journalists' questionsfollow:

does it affect the participants? How can the issue or problem be resolved?

1.2.99 The journalists' questions are a powerful way to develop a great deal ofinformation about a topic very quickly Learning to ask the appropriate questions about

a topic takes practice, however At times during writing an assignment, you may wish to

go back and ask the journalists' questions again to clarify important points that may begetting lost in your planning and drafting

2.3.1 Definition

1.2.100 Nowadays, mind mapping is a common technique in the Englishteachinglearning process Mind mapping involves writing down a central idea andthinking up new and related ideas which radiate out from the centre It is a goodtechnique that can help our memory because it enables us to arrange the facts and ideas.Mapping knowledge which will help us to understand and remember new information

by focusing on the key ideas that are written down, and then looking for branches outand connections between the ideas

1.2.101 Hedge (1998: 30) states making a mind map is a strategy for making before writing; in other words, scribbling down ideas about a topic anddeveloping those ideas as the mind makes associations So, it can be said that mindmapping can give students a way to begin writing assignments Hayes (1992: 203)states that through mind mapping students turns random thoughts into patterns that can

note-be written down and developed Students note-become increasingly motivated to complete awriting task as their ideas emerge in organized forms

1.2.102 Buzan (2010:4) states that “mind mapping is an easy way to placeinformation to brain and take information out from brain Mind Mapping is creative andeffective way to write and will map your mind by a simple way” In this definition, five

important concepts of mind mapping are used Firstly, the mind mapping is one of thecreative note taking techniques It is a technique used by people to represent ideas intovisualization and graphic forms where one idea is connected to another idea by usingbranches Secondly, the mind mapping helps people to enter the information into theirbrains By using mind mapping, it is easy for people to put information into theirmemory Thirdly, the mind mapping helps people to keep information in the long termmemory By using mind mapping, the information can be saved into their memories for

a long time Fourthly, the mind mapping helps people to take information out from theirbrain easily By using mind mapping, it is easy to recall information saved in theirmemories Finally, the mind mapping engages the use of imagination and association inits application This means that in presenting ideas into mind mapping diagrams, peopleenclose imagination stimulators such as pictures, symbols, and colors to present ideasclearly and use association techniques to help them build their senses to the newconcepts These new concepts are connected to the known concepts having a tightrelationship with the new concepts

1.2.103 All mind maps are using color and the form is radiant thinking Allmind maps have basic structure which spray from the center It can be by lines, symbol,words, and picture which related in simply, basic, nature series with brain By usingmind map, long list information could change into colorful diagram, well regulated, andeasy to memorize

2.3.2 Benefits of mindmapping in writing

1.2.104 Buzan (2002) claims that the mind map is a vastly superior notetaking method because it does not lead to a "semi- hypnotic trance" state induced byother note forms Buzan also argues that the mind map utilizes the full range of left andright human

1.2.105 cortical skills, balances the brain, taps into the alleged 99% of yourunused mental potential, as well as intuition (which he calls "super logic")

1.2.106 Some people realize that a certain chart or diagram can help themrearrange and visualize the ideas that bear on their mind That chart usually helps them

to remember well by using symbol or pictures that can represent words and ideas Mindmapping has many benefits in the daily life According to Casco (2009), there are someadvantages of mind mapping technique One of them is that the radiating design conceptkeeps the mind topic or central idea with all its major sub-topics close to it Similarity,sub- topics stay close to their topic This arrangement keeps the big picture in focus.Beside, mind mapping makes relationships and connectors easier to see, it is moreflexible than outlining In addition, it encourages creativity and improves memoryretention and it is also easier to understand, saves time and increases productivity

1.2.107 The mind mapping is also considered as the technique that enablesthe user to enlist the full power of the brain both the right side, which is employed forspatial awareness, a sense of wholeness, imagination, day dreaming and color, and theleft side, which is the more analytical, logical side According to DePorter and Mike(2008: 172), the mind mapping has four benefits They are as follows:

1.2.110 Mind mapping will improve the comprehension and producevaluable frequentnote later

2.3.3 How to make a mind map

1.2.113 Mind mapping is a system that uses brain management to open allthe hidden brain potency and capacity Besides, mind mapping is also a learning systemthat is often used to help students to learn effectively, efficiently and happily Buzan(2005: 15) mentions seven stages to make a mind mapping as follows:

1) Putting the main idea in the center: the beginning idea in the center is designed togive freedom to expand the ideas to any direction which is a perfect example ofradiant thinking in action Most students find it useful to turn their page on theside and do mind map in “landscape” style Placing the main idea or topic in themiddle of page will give maximum space for other ideas to radiate out from thecenter

2) Using a picture or photo for the central idea: picture and photo are importantenough in making mind mapping It is because pictures have a strong impact onimagination and memory It also pleases sight and keeps attention focused

3) Using colors: color makes mind map more alive and adds the energy on creativethinking It can be used to capture eye’s attention and interest

4) Connecting main branches to the center picture and connect the second and thirdbranches to the first and second, and so on trying to connect main branches to the

center picture and connect the second and third branches to the first and second,and so on because the brain works according to the association Human brainlikes to relate two or more things all at once The connections among branchesmake it easier to understand and remember.

5) Making a curve line connector, not a straight line

1.2.114 A mind map with straight lines is boring to the eyes and does notreflect its creative intent, but the curve branches like a tree branches are moreinteresting for eyes

6) Using one key word for each line

1.2.115 It is because a single key word gives more energy and flexibilityfor mind mapping

7) Using pictures

1.2.116 Image and symbol are easy to remember, and they stimulate newcreative association

1.2.117 So, mind mapping is a simple technique that can be used to notecreatively and effectively Besides, it can help the students to memorize information Byusing mind mapping, people can emerge and organize ideas to be a good sentence.Moreover, mindmapping can make the students happy in studying because there arecolorful pictures That is why mind mapping is a technique that can be used to learnwriting skills.

2.3.4 Common types of mind maps

1.2.118 Buzan maps

1.2.119 Originated in the late 1960s by Tony Buzan Mind Maps are nowused by millions of people around the world - from the very young to the very old -whenever they wish to use their minds more effectively

1.2.120 Venn maps

ADifferent Similar

1.2.121 A Venn Diagram was introduced by the British philosopher andmathematician John Venn(1834-1923) in 1881 and visually shows all the possiblelogical relations between the sets This diagram can be interpreted as the relationships

of sets which may have some (but not all) elements in common

1.2.122 Bubble maps

1.2.123

1.2.124 A very simple drawing that consists of roughly drawn bubbleconnected by solid lines, broken lines, or wavy lines to specify the type of relationshipbetween the spaces (Marxuach, 2009)

1.2.125 Bubble Maps are used to describe qualities using adjectives("sparkle words") and adjective phrases As a writing tool it enriches students' abilities

to identify qualities and use descriptive words

1.2.126 In the center circle, write the word or thing being described Write theadjectives or adjective phrases in the outside circles

1.2.127 Describe a friend, a pet, favorite candy, a game, a stuffed animal

1.2.7 Bubble Diagram

1.2.8

1.2.129 When comparing and contrasting, we use Double Bubble Maps.This is similar in concept to a Venn Diagram Two items being compared are written inthe two center circles Outside bubbles show items that share qualities with only oneobject - these are contrasting qualities Center bubbles (that connect to both circles)show similarities between the two items being compared

1.2.130 Fishbone maps

1.2.131

1.2.9

1.2.10

1.2.132 A fishbone map (sometimes called a herringbone map) is a type ofgraphic organizer that is used to explore the many aspects or effects of a complex topic,helping the student to organize their thoughts in a simple, visual way The use of colorhelps make a fishbone map clearer and easier to interpret.

1.2.133 If the topic at hand involves investigating attributes associated with

a single, complex topic, and then obtaining more details on each of these ideas, use afishbone diagram as your graphic organizer The fishbone diagram is like a spider map,but it works for more complex topics - topics that require more details to beenumerated

1.2.134 The Fishbone diagram is also known as the cause and effectdiagram, the root cause analysis, and the Ishikawa diagram, named after its originatorKaoru Ishikawa, the Japanese quality pioneer It is generally called the Fishbonediagram because the diagram resembles that of a fishbone In simple terms, Fishbone isbrainstorming in a structured format The technique uses graphical means to relate thecauses of a problem to the problem itself, in other words, to determine cause and effect.The diagram focuses on the causes rather than the effect Because there may be anumber of causes for a particular problem, this technique helps us to identify the rootcause of the problem in a structured and uncomplicated manner It also helps us to work

on each cause prior to finding the root cause

1.2.135 Tree maps

1.2.136

1.2.137 For classifying and grouping, students leam to use a Tree Map.Things or ideas are sorted into categories or groups Sometimes new categories arecreated On the top line, write the category name Below that begin writing sub-categories Below each sub-category write specific members of the group Some thingscan go in multiple groups

1.2.138 Tree Maps are good for studying for tests Use this map tocategorize spelling words according to the skill being taught Try using a Tree Mapwhen studying Social Studies or Science

1.2.148 CHAPTER 3

1.2.149 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.2.150 This chapter subsequently emphasizes on the research methodologycomprising research questions, the study setting, the participants, the materials and theprocedure of the study

3.1 Research questions

1.2.151 The study aimed to seek the answer for the following questions:

- Does the use of mind maps improve EFL learners’ organizational skill in writing?

- Does the use of mind maps enhance EFL learners’ ability of developing

1.2.152 ideas?

3.2 Study setting

1.2.153 The study was carried out at Phan Dinh Phung high school which islocated in Ha Tinh city This school was chosen because it is the school where theresearcher has been teaching English since 2008, so there was a bigger chance for theresearcher to be permitted to conduct research at the school Another reason was thatmindmapping technique has never been applied in this school

1.2.154 This experiment was conducted from September 2016 to June 2017,beginning from observation, writing the research proposal, up to the last activity that iswriting the research report

3.3 Participants

1.2.155 The participants chosen for the study were 30 grade tenth students

in Phan Dinh Phung high school There were 16 boys, and 14 girls, most of whom havebeen learning English for 4 years; some have 7 years at secondary schools Their Englishlevel is low and of mixed- ability

1.2.156 The participants were divided into two groups One group was the

control group which did not follow the mindmapping activities of prewriting Themindmapping technique had been used in the experimental group The treatment finishedthe course in thirteen weeks with a session every week The details about these twogroups are presented in the sub-section of 3.1 and 3.2 below.

1.2.157 Before taking part in experiment, they were selected based on thescore of general English test This test found no statistically significant differencebetween two groups These scores of general English test of two groups are illustrated indetail in the results section

1.2.158 The Control Group was described in terms of gender, age andEnglish-learning experience and summarized in the table below:

1.2.159

1.2.160 Likewise, the Experimental Group was described in terms of gender, ageand English - learning experience and recapped in the table below:

1.2.14 Table 3.1: The Control Group’s background information

1.2.15 Participants 1.2.16 Control Group -Class 10D3 K71

1.2.19 Gender

1.2.20 Male 1.2.21 Female1.2.23 8 (53%) 1.2.24 7 (47%)1.2.25 Age range

1.2.26 161.2.27

3.3.3 Resemblance

1.2.162 The information about the two groups depicted above shows astrong resemblance in all the four variables under consideration, namely the number ofstudents, gender, age range, and English-learning experience Accordingly, there was thesame number of the students in both groups They all were high school students at thesame age and same grade

3.4 Materials

1.2.163 In the era of integration and globalization, the Vietnamese Ministry

of Education and Training realized the important role of developing English use.Language teaching and learning has witnessed a marked positive change Remarkably,since 2006- 2007 the change of the curriculum for high school students Instead of onlyreading and grammar sections the textbook “ Tieng Anh 10”, “ Tieng Anh 11” and “Tieng Anh 12” cover four English skills In each unit reading skill comes first, and thenspeaking, listening, writing Language focus on which includes pronunciation andgrammar is the last part Each period is in 45 minutes and focus on one topic Here aretopics of 16 lessons also topics for writing ones in textbook “Tieng Anh 10”

1.2.164 Table 3.3 The writing topics of sixteen units in Tieng Anh

1.2.28 Participants 1.2.29 Experimental Group -Class 10A1 K71

1.2.32 Gender

1.2.33 Male 1.2.34 Female1.2.36 8(53%) 1.2.37 7(47%)1.2.38 Age

1.2.39 161.2.40