SKKN: Using mind maps in teaching English for 7th grade students (Sử dụng sơ đồ tư duy trong giảng dạy Tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 7) - Năm học 2023-2024 - Đỗ Thị Hoa

Nội dung text: SKKN: Using mind maps in teaching English for 7th grade students (Sử dụng sơ đồ tư duy trong giảng dạy Tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 7) - Năm học 2023-2024 - Đỗ Thị Hoa

1. PART A. SET THE PROBLEM English plays an important role in today's life. It is an important means of communication in the world. Therefore, the issue of improving the quality of English teaching and learning is of top concern. Achieving high quality requires efforts from both sides: teachers and students. Because teaching is both scientific and artistic, to improve the quality of teaching, teachers need to have strong capacity and appropriate teaching methods so that they can help students learn effectively. During the teaching process, I notice that the majority of students are very interested in lessons when they enter the secondary schools. However, after a period of studying English, many students do not know how to learn and remember knowledge, they memorize it mechanically. They do not know how to associate and link related knowledge together, so students cannot grasp the lesson. Facing with that situation, I always wonder how to bring interesting lessons to students, as well as to help all students remember knowledge easily. There are many teaching methods to improve the quality of the subject. However, the active teaching method "Using mind maps in teaching English for 7th grade students" is the one I like best. PART B. PROBLEM SOLVING I. The status of teaching and learning English at Canh Thuy secondary school 1. Advantages In 2022-2023 school year, I worked in Canh Thuy Secondary School, most students are conscious of learning and capable of getting knowledge. Moreover, they also have accessed to new teaching methods in most lessons, this makes it easier to guide and control students. Besides, I have been a teacher for many years, so I have gained some experience in imparting knowledge to students. The school's facilities meet the requirements of English lessons such as discs, stereos, smart TVs, the Internet .etc 2. Restrictions 2.1. Teachers Sometimes teachers had certain difficulties in applying new techniques, and choosing suitable techniques to teach in such big classes. Teachers did not kow how to do to make students remember vocabulary and grammartical structures.
2. 2 Teachers have not actively explored useful and suitable methods for the students’ competence. 2.2. Students The motivation to learn vocabulary as well as structures in English is limited. Many students have problems in learning new target items, they have not actively accessed to the mass information through which they can improve their English. Some children are afraid of listening and speaking in English, because of lacking vocabulary and structures. Students have a small number of vocabulary. The foundation knowledge and understanding are still limited, as a result, their listening and speaking skills are not good. Many students can not do grammartical exercises correctly although teachers have taught them clearly. There are many students who do not have the same levels in a class, so it is difficult for teachers to cover all the students. II. Educational measures From the above challenges, I thought about how to do deal with them, what methods to apply as well as what tricks to help students remember vocabulary, grammartical items and revise main knowledge easily in order to help them to have higher results. I've been looking for different solutions to this situation and I have applied the method "Using mind maps in teaching English for 7th grade students ” with a view to contributing to improve the quality of education. The measures are proposed to create more effective lessons, students are more active and proactive when absorbing and understandding the knowledge of the lessons and maximizing their creativity. At the same time, I can remove difficulties and obstacles in the process of teaching English. 1. Measure 1: Guide students to build mind maps before and after learning the topic. When using mind maps in teaching, we need to follow the following steps:
3. 3 Step 1: Give the topic, this is the keyword for students to build a mind map and direct students to pay attention to the keywords, remember the keywords that will help students grasp the entire content to be conveyed. Step 2: Draw the topic in the center. Teachers instruct students to use a blank sheet of paper and draw the topic (containing keywords) in the center of the paper. Step 3: Draw additional subheadings (level 1, 2, 3... branches). Teachers instruct students to draw the level 2 branch into the level 1 branch, level 3 branch into the level 2 branch, etc to create connection. Step 4: Add illustrations, teachers encourage students to add more images to help important ideas stand out, as well as save them in memory better because the brain of humans has a higher ability to absorb images than written words. Step 5: Report and comment about the mind map. 2. Measure 2: Using mind maps in teaching and reviewing vocabulary. For English learners, vocabulary plays an important role in enhancing subject results. Students can not speak, listen or write without having a large number of vocabulary. Mind maps help students to learn and review vocabulary more systematically and easily. This measure can be applied to all students with different abilities. Example 1: Unit 10 Energy sources A closer look 1 Teacher elicits from students to give types of energy, energy sources Teacher gives key words related to types of energy. Some students give ideas. Teachers show the mind maps. Students work individually to do exercises 1,2,3. After finishing the task, students can go to the board to present basing on the mind map.
4. 4 Example 2: Unit 3 Community service Looking back and project Teacher gives topic: Community activities Teacher elicits from students to help them revise words and phrases related to community activites. Students work in groups to do exercise 1 Teacher asks some groups to present 3. Measure 3 : Using mind maps in teaching and reviewing grammar. Grammar also holds an important part in learning English well. However, in the process of learning grammar, learners do not yet master the content, so they
5. 5 often make mistakes. Therefore, studying and reviewing grammar according to mindmaps will help learners remember the basic knowledge more easily. Example 1: Unit 3 Community service A closer look 2 T elicits from students about the form, use and signal of the past simple. T can give extra task about pronunciation of “ed” ending. By basing on the mindmap, students can do exercises 1, 2 more easily. Example 2: Unit 6 A visit to a school A closer look 2 After teaching prepositions of time and prepositions of place, teacher shows students the mind map. Students work individually to complete exercises 1, 2, 3. By using the mind map, students complete their tasks more easily. Moreover, they will remember how to use the prepositions correctly.
6. 6 4. Measure 4: Using mind maps in teaching writing skill. Students must write a paragraph about the topic given. By using mind maps, students can easily give topic sentence, and supporting ideas. They base on the outline to write complete paragraphs. Example 1: Unit 1 Hobbies Skills 2 Students work individually to complete the mind map. Basing on the mind map, students write a paragraph (60-70 words) about their hobbies. Example 2: Unit 7 Traffic Skills 2
7. 7 Students have to write a paragraph (60-70 words) about the traffic problems in their town Teacher gives the topic T elicits to get information from students by using a mind map. Students work individually to write, basing on the mind map. PART C. EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MEASURES After applying the above measures, I see that students are more interested in learning, actively creative to expand their knowledge. The learning atmosphere is more exciting. Students have the opportunity to remember knowledge easily, they are no longer embarrassed and concerned about English lessons. The result of 2022 – 2023 school year Total Result Gra of Below Time Measure Excell Goo Ave de student % % % averag % ent d rage s e At the Do not use begin 80 6 7.5 20 25 39 48.8 15 18.7 mind maps ning 7 1st Use mind 80 12 15 30 37.5 28 35 10 12.5 term maps 2nd Use mind 80 16 20 40 50 21 26.3 3 3.7 term maps
8. 8 Students’ mind maps Students review from unit 1 to unit 3 to prepare for the 1st mid- term test
9. 9 After each unit, students make mind maps to help them remember main knowledge of the unit.
10. 10 Students review vocabulary and grammar by drawing mind maps. Students work in groups to draw mind maps and present in front of the class.
11. 11 PART D: COMMITMENT I promise: I do not copy the measures of others The measures taken and demonstrated by the students’ progress are honest. Canh Thuy, March 15th 2024 TEACHER (Signature and full name) Do Thi Hien PART E. ASSESSMENT AND COMMENTS OF THE SCHOOL 1. Assessment and comment of professional groups/groups ................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................. PROFESSIONAL LEADER (Signature and full name) 2. Assessment, comment and confirm of the principal PRINCIPAL (Signature and seal)