The Use of Mind Mapping and Game Teaching Method for English Vocabulary Skill of Grade 8 Students in Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

This study compared grade 8 students’ English vocabulary skills before and after using the Mind Mapping and Game Teaching Method and investigated their satisfaction with the use of the Mind Mapping and Game Teaching Method in an English vocabulary course in Yunnan Province, China. The sample group consisted of 30 eighth-grade Chinese students. Quantitative data were collected through four lesson plans: a pre-test, a post-test, and a questionnaire, and were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and paired sample t-tests. The data collection lasted for four weeks. The results obtained from the pretest and posttest showed that the students in the sample group improved their English vocabulary skills with a pretest score (x = 20.93, SD = 3.97), and a posttest score (x = 25.20, SD = 2.41). The data collected from the questionnaire demonstrated that all items on the questionnaire were rated at the highest level. Most students in the sample group expressed positive satisfaction with the use of mind mapping and game teaching methods in English vocabulary learning. This study demonstrated that the use of the mind mapping and game teaching methods provided an alternative and effective method for learning English vocabulary. Therefore, English teachers from all over the world, including China, can consider this method an option.