Teaching English Vocabulary Using Mind Mapping Technique

Nurnaningsih Umar K. Yema

Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. Sintuwu Maroso University

Elfi Yanti Pangku

Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. Sintuwu Maroso University
email : elfiyantipangku@gmail.com

Abstract
In order to help the students improve their vocabulary, a teacher needs to apply an appropriate
technique. One of the techniques that might be useful in teaching vocabulary is mind mapping. It
helps teachers relate subject matter content to real world situation and motivates the students to
make connection between knowledge and its applications to their life. It also can make students
easily remember and broaden new vocabularies through mapping out their mind. They can write
down their new vocabulary based on their imagination. It can be supported with several things
such as board marker, white board, key word and picture. Then, it will be connected with lines in
order to make their imagination more colorful and more interesting toward vocabulary.

The researcher chooses mind-mapping technique because mind mapping is interesting to express
our brain by making an infinite number of associations. Mind mapping gives the freedom to roam
the infinite expanse of the brain. The view of its radiant nature, every key word adds to a mind
mapping itself, adds the possibility of a new and greater range of associations. So, the researcher
assumes that teaching vocabulary by using mind mapping technique is interestingway for both
teacher and students in teaching learning process to make the atmosphere of the class more
enjoyable and to increase students’ vocabulary.

Keywords : Vocabulary, Mind mapping

1. Introduction
This research discussed about the using of mind mapping in teaching english
vocabulary. Nowadays, language has an important role in increasing students’
intelligence, social, and physical. Language contains words which are used in
making sentences named vocabulary. Learning vocabulary is very important since
vocabulary is an important thing in communication. Hence, everybody who learns
English or a certain language should know the words. The mastery of vocabulary
can support them in speaking when they are communicating to people, write and
translate the meaning of words. If they do not know the meaning of words, they
will not be able to speak, write and translate anything in English. Based on that
statement, it knows that vocabulary is a basic need in communication.

Vocabulary is essential in the process of learning English. There is no language

without vocabulary. That is why it is one of the most important elements of
language. The mastery of vocabulary helps learners to understand reading
materials, understand others utterances, give responses, listen and write materials.
In other words, students can communicate fluently. Having good mastery of
vocabulary, contributes significantly to the achievement of the subjects in the
class. In Mts. Fastabiqul Khairaat especially at seventh grade, the students still as
beginner in learn English. They never get English yet in Elementary school. They
are still in a phase of acquiring English vocabulary. It causes students feel difficult
to memorize vocabulary or new word of English vocabulary. To achieve the aim
of the research, the following research question was formulated : How is the mind
mapping technique implemented in teaching English Vocabulary for Seventh
grade students of Mts. Fastabiqul Khairaat Tojo

2. Review of Related Literature

Nowadays, a creative teacher need to find a good technique to help them to do the
learning process in the classroom. Therefore, teacher will use mind mapping to
help the students in build their vocabulary. There are two main topic that will be
discussed and it is taken from the keywords. They are maind mapping and
vocabulary.

Mind Mapping
According Buzan (2005) in Yema, mind map is the easiest way to put information
into your brain and to take information out of your brain. It is creative and
effective means of note taking that literally maps out your thoughts and make it is
so simple. It is creative and effective means of note taking that literally maps out
your thoughts and make it is so simple. In this definition, five important concepts
of mind mapping are used. Firstly, mind mapping is one of creative note taking
techniques. It is a technique used by people to represent ideas into visualization
and graphic forms where one idea is connect to another idea by using branches.
Secondly, mind mapping helps people to enter the information into their brains.
By using mind mapping, it is easy for people to put information into their
memory. Thirdly, mind mapping helps people to keep information in the long-
term memory. By using mind mapping, the information can be save in their
memories for a long time. Fourthly, mind mapping helps people take information
out from their brain easily. Finally, mind mapping engages the use of imagination
and association in its application. This means that in presenting ideas into mind
mapping diagrams, people enclose imagination stimulators such as pictures,
symbols, and colors to present ideas clearly and use association techniques to help
them build their senses to the new concepts. According Tony Buzan and Barry
Buzan (1994:59), mind map has four essential characteristic, first is the subject of
attention is crystallized in a central image. Second is the main themes of the
subject radiate from the central image as branches. Third is branches comprise a
key image or key word printed on an associated line. Topic of lesser importance
also represented as branches attached to higher level branches. Furthermore,
There are several techniques in making mind mapping (Tony Buzan and Barry
Buzan 1994:96-97) as states, First is use emphasis, emphasis is one of the major
factors in improving memory and creativity. Second is use association, association
is the other major factor in improving memory and creativity. It is the integrating
device our brains use to make sense of our physical experience, the key to human
memory and understanding. Third is be clear, It means that we have to use only
key word per line, print all words, print key words on line, make line length equal
to word length, connect lines to other lines, make the central lines thicker, make
the boundaries ‘embrace’ the branch outline, make the images as clear as possible,
keep the paper placed horizontally, Keep the printing as upright as possible. And
the last is developing a personal style, In this way you will constantly develop and
refine all your mental skills. You will also produce mind maps which we want to
review and use for creation and communication. In addition, the more our
personalize our mind maps, the more easily we will remember the information
they contain.

Vocabulary
According to Hiebert and Kamil (2005: 3) in Yema, vocabulary is the knowledge
of meanings of words. It means that a language consists of a number of words that
are meaningful. There are two kinds of vocabulary that always used for the
students, they are oral vocabulary and print vocabulary. In vocabulary learning,
the beginners need to do three vocabulary tasks to help them in understanding the
meaning of words. These tasks are labeling, categorizing or packaging, and
network building (Thornbury, 2002: 18). Therefore according to Thornbury
(2002:27-28) says that there are seven factors which influence students to learn
vocabulary as follows: Cognate or loan word, pronunciation, spelling, length and
complexity, grammar, meaning, range, connotation, and idiomacity.
In my point of view, the implementation of mind mapping technique in teaching
English Vocabulary in this thesis can increase student’s vocabulary and make
them easily to memorize vocabulary.

3. Research Method
The present research seek to investigate the implemeting of mind mapping in
teaching english vocabulary of the students. This research was conducted in
qualitative descriptive and the participant were Seventh grade students of
MTs.Fastabiqul Khairaat Tojo, There were eighteen students consist of 11 boys
and 7 girls. The research was conducted in MTS. Fastabiqul Khairaat which is
located on Jl. Trans Sulawesi, Kec. Tojo, Kabupaten Tojo Una-una, Desa Tojo. In
this research, sources of the data was took teacher and student’s score to describe
implementation of mind mapping in teaching English Vocabulary and to find out
the students’ achievement in acquiring English Vocabulary. The researcher also
use English books in Mts. Fastabiqul khairaat Tojo. The procedure of data
collection takes from teacher and students’ score. The Procedure of data collection
was taken from teacher as follows: Lesson Plan, Teacher uses lesson plan to guide
teaching and learning process more direction, Observation sheet of teacher’s
Project In this case, researcher was ask teacher of VII A grade to observes her
teaching and learning process, Documentation In this research, the researcher was
attach a test, photos of mind mapping diagram and photos of teaching English
vocabulary using mind-mapping process (treatment) in VII A grade. In treatment,
mind-mapping diagram will make by teacher and teacher asks students to
complete mind-mapping diagram using key words that given to them. The
treatment was done 1 meeting for about 2 hours. Meanwhile Procedure of data
collection was taken from student’s score as follows: To know mind mapping
technique can acquire English vocabulary of students, the researcher was given
pre-test for VII A grade. Pre-test was delivered at the first time before the
researcher applies the treatment in class. Test of pre-test was arranged into 100
items of vocabulary test of single items takes from student’s English book. After
the researcher applies the treatment in class, the researcher was given post-test to
see students’ English vocabulary can acquire using mind mapping technique.

In this research, researcher uses qualitative data and quantitative data in analyzing
the data. In qualitative data, Researcher uses theory of Miles and Huberman
(1994:10), it can be seen as follow as: First, data reduction refers to the process of
selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data that appear
in written-up field notes or transcriptions. Second, Looking at displays helps to
understand what is happening and to do something either analyze further or take
action based on that understanding. Third,Conclusion also verified as the analyst
proceeds. Verification maybe as brief as a fleeting second thought crossing the
analyst’s mind during writing with a short excursion back to the field notes or
elaborate or with extensive efforts to replicate a finding in another data set.
In quantitative data, the researcher uses percentage based on the formula stated by
Dinas Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah (Regional Office
of the Department of Education and Culture Kalimantan Province (2003) as
follows:
𝑭
𝑨= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝑵
In which:
A = achievement
F = number of correct answers
N = number of items
100% = constant multiplier

4. Findings and Discussion

Findings
The implemention of mind mapping at MTs. Fastabiqul Khairaat Tojo especially
at VII A grade has been done in three meetings and the reasearcher did the
evaluation in the last meeting. Based on the result of research, the mean score of
test before the researcher implemented mind mapping of VII A in Mts. Fastabiqul
Khairaat Tojo was 22,50. It was found out that students’ vocabulary was low
before the researcher implemented mind mapping technique to them. The result of
students’ test before implemented mind mapping technique can be seen in the
table 4.1 to:

Table 4.1 Students’ test score before implemented mind mapping technique
No. Name Score

1. Rian Trio 43
2. Misnaeni 27
3. Wisdayanti 36
4. Moh. Rahmad 12
5. NurFadilah 12
6. AtmaAulia 33
7. Rahmatia 22
8 SitiNurhidayah 33
9. Moh. Rizki 29
10. Sahrul 22
11. Irfan 9
12. Moh. Amin 6
13. Yasin 20
14. Moh. Arya 11
Total 315
Mean score 22.50

The test items in the achievements’ test were exactly the same as the ones that
were given in the test before the researcher implemented mind mapping
technique. The mean post-test score of the VII A grade students was 77,71. It was
found out that the lowest score was 40 reached by one student and the highest
score was 94 by one students. The result of students’ achievement test after
implemented mind mapping technique can be seen in the table 4.2 to:

Table 4.2 Students’ achievement-test score after implemented mind mapping

technique
No. Name Score
1 Rian Trio 93
2 Misnaeni 94
3 Wisdayanti 92
4 Moh. Rahmad 53
5 NurFadilah 92
6 AtmaAulia 90
7 Rahmatia 90
8 SitiNurhidaya 91
9. Moh. Rizki 91
10. Sahrul 82
11. Irfan 52
12. Moh. Amin 42
13. Yasin 86
14. Moh. Arya 40
Total 1088
 Mean score 77,71

Based on the finding in this research, the researcher found out that
implementation mind mapping technique in teaching vocabulary could increase
and make students easily to recall the vocabulary. These findings support Buzan’s
theory (Buzan 2005). He said that mind mapping is the easiest way to put in and
out information in the brain. It means that mind mapping technique could easily to
accept the information and save information in the brain or make easily to recall
the information such as when students learn English vocabulary and recall the
vocabulary. In this research, the researcher implemented mind mapping using
picture, key words, white board and board marker. It based theory of Tony
Buzan(2005), he said that presenting ideas into mind mapping can make people
enclose imagination stimulators such as pictures, symbols, and colors to present
ideas clearly. The researcher used mind mapping based on students’ ability of VII
A that still beginner, because it was consist of simple branch, so it did not make
students feel difficult.

Discussion
In this research, the researcher compared the other theories that using mind
mapping with the theory that researcher uses. The first related research is The use
of mind mapping technique in teaching vocabulary (2015) by Samhudi. This
research has two purposes, to describe the procedure of mind mapping technique
on teaching vocabulary and to know the improve students’ vocabulary mastery
after teaching learning vocabulary through mind mapping technique. This
research used quantitative method. The design of this research is experimental
research design. In this research, the result show that mind mapping technique
improved students’ vocabulary mastery.

The second related research is entitled “The effectiveness of Using Mind Mapping
in the Teaching of writing Essay (An Experimental Research at the Eleventh
Grade of SMA Muhammadiyah 25 Setiabudi Pamulang” which is written by Ats
Tsauratul Maimanah. This research used quantitative method and quasi
experimental design while the writer compared the experimental class who was
taught an essay using mind mapping with controlled class who was taught an
essay using conventional teaching. The result of this research showed that 𝑡0 =
5,10 and 𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 = 1,67 or 𝑡0 > 𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 . It means that the null hypothesis was
rejected and alternative hypothesis was accepted. In other words, using the mind
mapping has significant effect in order to help the students in writing essay.

The last related research is The Effectiveness of Mind Mapping Strategy in

Teaching the Students to Write Descriptive Text: An Experimental Research of the
Eighth Grade Students of SMP N I Pegandon Kendal in the Academic Year of
2008/ 2009 which is written by Laili Mawadah as student of Semarang State
University. She used experimental design and using analytical scoring to score the
student’s work. In addition, she used the mean of post-test of the experimental
group is 78.50 and the control group is 75.53. The obtained t-test (value) is
4.57672, whereas the t-table is 1.99 for α = 5%. The t-test value is higher than the
t-table (4.57672 > 1.99).The result proved that mind mapping is more effective as
the teaching strategy in teaching descriptive text than the conventional strategy.

Based the related research above, there are some differences with the researcher’s
research. In the first related research, the result of his research is mind mapping
technique improved students’ vocabulary mastery and used experimental design.
In the second related research, she used quasi experimental design. The result of
her research, mind mapping is effective in teaching writing essay. And the last
related research, she used mind mapping in teaching descriptive text and used
experimental research as design. And the result of her research using mind
mapping in teaching descriptive text is effective. But the researcher focus on the
implementing mind mapping technique in teaching English vocabulary at seventh
grade students of MTs.Fastabiqul Khairaat Tojo. And the researcher was used
qualitative descriptive.

5. Conclusion and Suggestion

Conclusion
Based on the research, mind mapping is a technique of teaching vocabulary by
using diagram and key word to help students make easier to learn vocabulary and
to memorize English word. Mind mapping is the easiest way to put in and out
information in the brain. It means that mind mapping technique could easily to
accept the information and save information in the brain or make easily to recall
the information such as when students learn English vocabulary and recall the
vocabulary. In the research, the researcher implemented mind mapping using
picture, key words, white board and board marker. It based theory of Tony
Buzan(2005), he said that presenting ideas into mind mapping can make people
enclose imagination stimulators such as pictures, symbols, and colors to present
ideas clearly. The researcher used mind mapping based on students’ ability of VII
A that still beginner, because it was consist of simple branch, so it did not make
students feel difficult.

Suggestion
The writer suggested to the future researcher to research more about some case
that related mind mapping technique especially in teaching vocabulary. The writer
hope future researcher can be more creative using mind mapping technique to
increase students’ vocabulary, so the learning process will be done with fun and
the students enjoy the learning.

Reference
Buzan, T, (2005) . The Ultimate Book of Mind Maps (HarperCollins Publisher
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Hiebert and Kamil, (2005). Teaching and Learning Vocabulary
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Tony Buzan, Barry Buzan, (1994).The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant
Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential (New York: Penguin
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Thornbury,S. (2002). How to Teach Vocabulary, (Essex: Pearson Education
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Mawadah, L.( 2009). The Effectivness of Mind Mapping Strategy in Teaching the
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