Abstract

We can not deny the fact that reading plays a very important role in learning English. And English learners can gain much information and knowledge from reading. 

However, most students in junior high school believe that English reading is the most difficult activity and English teachers also have the same opinion. Some students at low level lose their interest in learning English because of too many difficulties in English reading. Some students can’t get good grades in English because of bad competence in reading comprehension. In order to help students solve the problems of English reading, teachers spend a lot of time and consume much energy, but the result is disappointing. In the 1970s, Tony Buzan put forward Mind Map theory which is a method of learning, organizing and storing information. Mento (1999: 2) regards mind map as a creativity-and-productivity-enhancing technique which can improve the learning efficiency of individual. It is such a system that can help to capture views and ideas on paper. Thus, mind maps may be beneficial to reading comprehension. And this thesis puts forward a method of applying mind maps to English reading teaching and the writer designs a series of experiments to testify the effectiveness of the mind maps in English reading teaching in junior high school. The research is to address the following two questions:

1. Can the application of Mind Maps to English reading teaching stimulate students’ interest in English reading in junior high school?

2. How is the effect of the application of Mind Maps to English reading teaching in enhancing students’ English reading competence in junior high school?

After collection and analysis of the data, it can conclude that the application of Mind Maps to English reading teaching can stimulate students’ interest and enhance students’ English reading competence in junior high school in some aspects. Mind maps can help students grasp main ideas of passages and have a better understanding of texts. Thus, students can read passages quickly and do questions of reading comprehension effectively. And according to findings, there are some suggestions for further study. We can try to apply mind maps to other aspects of teaching in order to help students get used to using mind maps. And the modes of mind maps shoule be flexible in order to adapt different passages. It can make mind maps have the biggest influence.

Keywords: mind maps; application; junior high school; reading teaching

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Background of the Study-1

1.2 Significance and Purpose of the Study-2

1.2.1 Significance-2

1.2.2 Purpose-2

1.3 Layout of the Thesis-3

2. Literature Review-3

2.1 Researches on Mind Maps-3

2.1.1 Definition of Mind Maps-3

2.1.2 Previous Foreign and Domestic Studies on Mind Maps-4

2.1.3 Theoretical Basis on Mind Maps-5

2.2 Researches on Reading-6

2.2.1 Definition of Reading-6

2.2.2 Concept of English Reading Ability-6

2.2.3 Studies on English Reading Strategy-7

2.3 Relationships between Mind Maps and English Reading-7

3. Research Design-8

3.1 Research Hypothesis-8

3.2 Research Participants-8

3.3 Research Methods-8

3.3.1 Questionnaire-8

3.3.2 Interview-9

3.3.3 Observation-10

3.4 Research Procedure-10

4. Results and Analysis-13

4.1 Analysis of the Questionnaires-13

4.2 Analysis of Interview-15

4.3 Analysis of Observational Data-18

5. Conclusions-19

5.1 Major Findings-20

5.2 Limitations-20

5.3 Suggestions for Further Study-20

References-21

Appendix 1-22

Appendix 2-23