CONCEPT MAPPING AND IRANIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY LEARNING ENGLISH

Historically, in the educational field, numerous efforts have been made to facilitate the complex process of foreign language reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. More recently, increasing attention has been paid to the use of new strategies for developing reading comprehension skills, vocabulary learning and various efforts have been made in this regard. Concept mapping is suggested as a methodological catalyst for organizational learning. Concept mapping is used to organize related information in a visual manner. Study maps clearly and concisely demonstrate hierarchical relationships among the topic, main ideas, and supporting details or pertinent course material. Mapping is a way of picturing course content that enhances ability to retrieve the information on a test. Maps are useful because they reduce large amounts of information. Mapping helps you to learn actively. The maps are highly individualized, representing information in a unique and personal way. Structuring the map allows you to see interrelationships in the information. The present study attempted to investigate the effect of concept mapping strategy instruction on vocabulary learning of Iranian high school students. A further concern of this study was to explore the probable interaction between the effect of teaching concept mapping strategy and reading comprehension. Initially, 80 available male EFL students participated in this study. The instruments utilized in this study were a Nelson test (1976) and reading comprehension test adapted from the book entitled steps to understanding which was employed at pre – test and post – test phases. Having established the homogeneity of subjects in terms of general language proficiency, the 60 selected students were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Then, in order to ascertain the homogeneity of the subjects in terms of vocabulary knowledge and reading skills prior to the treatment vocabulary and reading comprehension tests were administered to all the groups. During the twelve instructional sessions, the experimental group received concept mapping strategy instruction after reading each passage and then did the exercises. In the control group students were not taught how to use semantic mapping strategy and they were exposed only to the conventional vocabulary instruction strategy. That is, they read the passages, did the exercises and activities, and new words were introduced through context and exercises. At the end of experiment, the post – test was administered the results of which indicated that there was a significance difference among the means of the experimental and control group. Hence it is concluded concept mapping strategy instruction has a significant effect on vocabulary learning and reading skills of Iranian high school EFL students.

کلیدواژه ها:

Strategy instruction ، concept mapping ، vocabulary learning and reading skills