The Effect of Teaching Through Three Types of Mind Maps (Bubble, Double-Bubble, and Multi-Flow) on Iranian EFL Learners' Comprehension and Production of English Collocations

Abstract

Given the importance of learning collocations, this study investigated the effectiveness of three types of mind maps, namely, bubble, double-bubble and multi-flow maps, on the comprehension and production of collocations. The participants were 120 upper-intermediate level male learners of English at Qalam institute in Tehran, who ranged from 15 to 18 years of age. This study used convenience sampling based on availability. A pretest was used to ensure the participants’ unfamiliarity with the selected items. The participants belonged to four classes, each class being assigned to one treatment condition (one control and three experimental groups). All the groups had 12 treatment sessions, and in each session, eight collocations were introduced to the participants. After the treatment, two posttests of comprehension and production were given to all the participants, and the collected data were analyzed using two one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures. In both comprehension and production tests, the bubble and double-bubble map groups performed significantly better than the control group. Although there was a meaningful difference between the multi-flow map and the control group in the comprehension of collocations, there was no meaningful difference in the production of collocations. These results can have important implications for language teachers, curriculum designers, and educational policy makers.

Keywords

• bubble map
• collocations
• double-bubble
• multi-flow
• mind mapping