A MIND map, or spidergram, is a strategy for making notes on a topic prior to writing. It is a structured strategy, which shows the hierarchical relationship of ideas, as opposed to an unstructured strategy such as brainstorming, in which students produce notes at random on paper.
Mind maps can be used for many purposes. Vanessa Steele, who works for British Council in Barcelona, states how they can be used to help support and develop students’ writing skills.
Making a mind map should be a spontaneous pre-writing activity. Students start with a topic at the centre and then generate a web of ideas, developing and relating these ideas as their mind makes associations.
Mind maps work well because their visual design enables students to see the relationship between ideas and encourages them to group certain ideas together.
Here are some steps on how to make mind maps with students:
First, choose a topic. Traditionally, students are given a topic by the teacher. However, with certain classes, students may prefer to create their own topic. This will get students more interested in the task. The mind map strategy can be used to explore almost any topic, though discursive essays and narrative work particularly well.
Second, make notes. Once the topic has been introduced, teachers can encourage the students to close their eyes and think about it for a minute or two. They then have two minutes to note down their ideas. If they do not know a word in English, they can write it in L1. Dictionaries or too much teacher intervention tend to inhibit the creative flow. Then, working in groups, they can compare and discuss their idea. This stage also provides the opportunity for peer teaching. Other students may be available to provide the English word for the idea that was noted down in L1.
Third, get feedback. The next stage, in which the teacher makes a collective mind map on the board, is optional. It is useful for students who are new to the idea of mind maps, or for weak classes. Also in this feedback stage that any remaining language problems can be ironed out. As the teacher elicits students' ideas, and reformulates expressions or corrects, students will learn how to express their ideas in English. Such personalization is said to aid vocabulary learning. The map is fluid and changeable, and new connections or subgroups can be made, or branches added as the students make suggestions. The end result should be an organized display of information, showing the central idea.
Fourth, organize mind maps. In the next stage the students organize their mind maps into a linear format to decide the best way in which to present their points. They should first think about the overall structure. Then, they should focus on the precise function each paragraph will have in their final text. This helps to clarify their writing. This can be done in groups or as a class with the teacher leading the discussion.
Finally, begin to write. Students should then begin to write their compositions, working in pairs if they wish. After two paragraphs, they should exchange their compositions. This way they can read each other’s work and give feedback. Once they have finished, they should again exchange their texts. This gives their texts a communicative purpose, as well as developing an awareness of the fact that a writer is always producing something to be read by someone else.
Once students are familiar with the idea of making mind maps, they can be encouraged to use this skill for other writing activities. It is a useful technique and often improves the clarity and organization of student texts.
