Using Concept Mapping to Enhance English Language Learner Students' Reading Comprehension

• In Event: 26.080 - Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: 26.080-1 - Instructional Technology Applications in Content Areas: Language Education

Abstract

Reading comprehension is a challenging area for ELL students. Vocabulary repertoire and grammar mastery alone do not warrant reading comprehension. One critical skill to reading comprehension is the ability to interconnect the individual points into the main idea or thesis. This is a cognitively demanding task for ELL students as they have to process newly learned information and skills in parallel. Concept mapping is a cognitive tool that could foster ELL students in this learning process by providing visual aid as well as naturally engaging them in the interconnecting ideas process. 106 Jordanian high school students participated in the study. The concept mapping group significantly outperformed the control group on posttest as well as reading comprehension skills development.

Authors

• Woei Hung, University of North Dakota

• Enaz Mahmoud