Mind mapping as a tool of teaching English vocabulary at transport university

Abstract

The core problem of teaching English as a second language at transport university is students’ poor knowledge of vocabulary. Current solutions to the given problem such as providing word explanations and repetitive practices are ineffective. We strongly believe that the mindmapping technique proposed by Tony Buzan as a note-taking method is a novel, yet an extremely potent tool that aids students in enlarging their professional word stock by associating new vocabulary to their existing knowledge using colors, images, symbols, etc. As might have been expected, the findings of our study point towards the idea that the strong visual appeal of mind maps created by easy-to-use software boosted the educational process and helped students of the experimental group memorize more new words in contrast to students of the control group.

The Use of Web-Based Mind Mapping Tools in the Studies of ESL and ESP in Higher Education

“…According toMcDonough (2010) there exist at least 20 profession related spheres in which the use of English may be essential for effective communication, e.g., medicine, engineering, nursing, commerce, finance, information technology, law, tourism, etc. The analysis of this current research data shows that Web-based mind mapping techniques were successfully being implemented within different spheres of ESP, including engineering and mechanical engineering(Wannas, Hassan and Mohsen 2022;Tverezovska et al 2020), transport(Marunevich 2021), translation (Al-Jarf 2021; Alba 2021), education(Masoud and Ibrahim 2017), psychology(Orlova 2017).The sphere of engineering was addressed byTverezovska et al (2020) who targeted ESP students (including those enrolled in engineering study programme) pursuing their studies at the faculty of Computer Sciences and Cybernetics at a university in Ukraine. Similarly, Wannas, Hassan and Mohsen (2022) reported on the effective use of Web-based mind mapping software to develop ESP students' skills within the sphere of engineering.…”