Sebuah Kajian Pustaka: Yugafiati & Priscilla : The Use of Mind Map to... 98 THE USE OF MIND MAP TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY Rasi Yugafiati1, Tania Priscila2 tanya.rasiyugafiati@gmail.com, priscila.tania@yahoo.com IKIP SILIWANGI SMP WARINGIN ABSTRACT The research concerns the problems found in teaching and learning English vocabulary. The students had difficulties in discovering the meaning of words and the application of the words. Vocabulary is the key in language skill. The aim of this research was to improve students’ vocabulary mastery by applying mind map for eight grade students at Waringin Junior High School in academic year 2018/2019. The method used in this analysis is Classroom Action Reseach (CAR) which consists of Planning, Acting, Observing, and Reflecting. This research was managed in two cycles. The participants of this reseach were eight grade students. The instruments used in this research were observation and test. From the data collected by the researcher, it can be drawn a conclusion that the use of mind mapping were able to improve students’ vocabulary mastery. It can be seen from the improvement of mean score of pre-test was 59,833. Then, the mean score of post-test1 increased 63,100, and mean score of post-test 2 was 80,733. Thus, it can be concluded that the mind map was the right method to be applied in teaching vocabulary. Keywords: Mind Map, Vocabulary, CAR A. INTRODUCTION Language is a means of communication that is made up of sentence that convey meaning (Patmasari, Sutarsyah, and Ginting, 2014). As a communication tool, language has become an important aspect of life. By using language, we can communicate with other (Argawati, 2017). The most important thing is students have acquired English that involves four language skills; namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. Being able to master those skills, the students need vocabulary (Rosidi, Falianti, 2014). It means that vocabulary takes an important part in language in which the vocabulary will make a language meaningful. Vocabulary are the key in language skill, when learners are learning a new language, they should have enough vocabulary Wilkins in (Thornbury, 2004). In addition, Thuy in (Yulianti, Baharati, 2017) stated that vocabulary is at the heart of mastering a foreign language. Mothe (2000) stated that vocabulary of a language is just a bricks for constructing a building. Like bricks, they are vital for the building of a language. Vocabulary is one of the items that have to be mastered first by the students in learning English, because no one can speak English if they have limited vocabulary and without a proportional amount of vocabulary any one will get trouble in the process of learning English. The importance of learning new vocabulary has encourage language teachers of English today to move from passive learning to active learning, find better ways of engaging students mailto:tanya.rasiyugafiati@gmail.com mailto:priscila.tania@yahoo.com Yugafiati & Priscilla : The Use of Mind Map to... 99 in the English language learning process, because students need something fun and easy to access the vocabulary quickly when is require for use (Roaeni, 2014). In order to help students improve their vocabulary, a mind mapping can be used to teaching vocabulary. According to Buzan in (Huda, 2014: 306), “mind mapping is an easy way to place information to brain and take information out from brain. Mind Mapping is creative and effective way to write and will map your mind by a simple way.” Buzan also said that it is creative, effective and simple method of note taking. It is powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain. Mind mapping is very useful for students to memorize vocabulary. Therefore, this way is expected to stimulate the students’ interest. B. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Vocabulary Wilkins in (Thornbury, 2004) stated that Vocabulary are the key in language skill, when learners are learning a new language, they should have enough vocabulary. If we want to use language effectively, we must have good stock of vocabulary. We cannot use the language, if we don’t know the words of that language. According to Cameron in (Alqahtani, 2015) Vocabulary, as one of the knowledge areas in language, plays a great role for learners in acquiring a language. There some aspects of vocabulary that should be mastered by students as proposed by Ur (1996: 60-62). They are as follows: a. Pronunciation and Spelling The students have to know what a word sounds like (its pronuciation) and what it looks like (its spelling). b. Grammar The grammatical rules should be understood by student when they learn a set of new words. c. Meaning The meaning of words is primarily what is refers to in the real world, its denotation. A less obvious component of the meaning of an item it is connotation: the association, or positive or negative feeling it evokes, which may not be indicated in a dictionary definition. A more sublte aspect of meaning that often needs to be taught is whether particular item is the appropriate one to use in a certain context or not. 2. Mind Map Mind map is part of Problem Based Learning (PBL). According to Barrow in (Huda, 2014) PBL is focused, experimental learning organized around the investigation, explanation dan resolution of meaningful problems. Tony Buzan was developed mind map toward the end 1960s and has been employed in many different areas since the development. Tee, Azman, & Mohamed (2014) stated that mind map is a creative method that is useful in training, brainstorming, organizing and problem solving. According to Buzan in (Huda, 2014), there are seven steps of mind map as follows. ELTIN Journal, Volume 7/II, October 2019 100 a. Making a central image in the center of the paper. Color and add something interesting; b. Drawing some basic ordering ideas, spread out from the central image; c. Thinking of all something interesting as much as possible and funny for you and it can be connected with the central image to give you the inspiration; d. Adding some branches to the basic ordering ideas using symbols, pictures, and colors as much as possible; e. Thinking of the details which are interesting and it can encourage your curiousity. Add to your mind map; f. Continuing it until you have adequate information for your mind map; g. Creating a mind map. Several studies have been conducted about how using mapping technique in developing students’ vocabulary mastery. Traditional note-taking that is described boring activity by the students can be turned to a more enjoyable activity by using mind map. There are nine advantages of applying mind map in learning process as proposed by Tee et al. (2014) as follows: a. preparing notes from textbooks; b. The Buzan mind map principles are easy and interesting to follow; c. It is economical; d. Buzan mind map involve the use of both left and right brain; e. It is among the easiest and most famous thinking tool; f. students are able to memorize better; g. Students can play their daily routine with mind map; h. Revision is quick and effective; i. Students will appreciate own product (mind map); j. It increases the creativity; k. Parents and teachers are able to monitor the students’ performance. C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This research used Classroom Action Research (CAR) where the teacher acts as the researcher with the aim of making a better teaching learning process and more effective. According to Burns (2010: 2), action research is part of abroad movement that has been going on in education generally for some time and related to the ideas of “reflective practice” and “the teacher as researcher”. Moreover, Mertler in (Lisdawati, Sofian, and Supardi, 2017) stated that action research is a process that improve education by incorporating change, and it involves educators working together to improve their own teaching practices. Furthermore, Richards & Lockhart (2007) also added that action research involves small scale investigation projects in the teacher’s own classroom consists of a number of phases which often recur in cycles: planning, action, observation. The research brought into two cycles which each cycle contained pre-test and post-test. The subject study was eight grade students which consisted of 31 students. There were total seven meetings to do this research covered on those two cycles; three meetings were for Yugafiati & Priscilla : The Use of Mind Map to... 101 tests, and the other four meeting were doing treatment. The treatment was teaching vocabulary with the application of mind map. The instruments used in this research were observation and test. The test were used to test the students on pre-test, post-test 1 and post test 2. The result of the test are used to know the improvement of the students’ English vocabulary. D. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The meeting was conducted in seven times. The implementation of mind map was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle was done in four steps including (1) planning, (2) acting, (3) observing, and (4) reflecting. 1. Cycle 1. This cycle covers four steps as follows: a. Planning. In planning section, the research prepared lesson plan to be implemented on the treatment, which contained some procedure of mind map for teaching and learning vocabulary. b. Acting. In this step, the teacher came to the class four times. In first meeting, pre-test was given to the students. The test consisted 20 items in the first meeting. On the second meeting, the teacher explains about mind map, then she applied Mind Map in teaching and learning vocabulary. On the third meeting, the students finished their mind map and the mind map was presented. The last meeting in cycle 1, the researcher gave them post-test. c. Observing, During the treatment the teacher monitored students development and evaluated their progress. d. Reflecting. The teacher made some notes to evaluate about the result of implementation of mind map in teaching learning vocabulary. Table 1. Meeting in Cycle 1 Meeting Topic Activity 1 Pretest The teacher gave the students test in 20 item 2 Treatment 1 Vocabulary The teacher divides the students into small group of two to three persons. The teacher give the problem about grouping the vocabulary and unfamiliar words that was found in the text. The teacher explain about mind map to solve the problem and make students easy to learn. The researcher monitored the students’ activities in preparation on making mind map. 3 Treatment 2 Vocabulary The students started to create their mind map as their plan before. Each group presented their own mind map in front of the class. The teacher monitored the students’ activities on progreses of making mind map. ELTIN Journal, Volume 7/II, October 2019 102 Each group presenting their own mind map in front of the class. 4 Post test The teacher gave the first post test . Based on the research, it can be found that the result of teaching and learning English process in cycle one are as follows: a. There are 20 students who are not able to do the test optimally, so they got under of the minimun criteria scores (65). The main score of pretest is 59,833. The minimun score is 30,00. b. There are some students who are less active, and not serious in the learning English because they are confused what to do with the topic given. c. The positive result are most of students enjoy the process and tried to solve the problem using mind map. The students found some new vocabulary and they curious to make good mind map. 2. Cycle 2 In the second cycles, the activities are the same with the first cycle, the objective is for improving the main score so can reach the minumun criteria score. This cycle covers four steps as follows: a. Planning The teacher made some revision on the lesson plan. In the revision, the teacher made the material about the vocabulary. On previous treatment, some of students still could not understand about the steps and the aim of mind map, in the revision the researcher add the worksheet as the guding on made content of the mind map. b. Acting The acting session covered on three meeting. It was started by giving treatment for four meetings then, the students were given the post test. The teacher gave some questionsto review the materials to make the students remember about the topic. In addition, the teacher also gave the students worksheet to guide them in creating good and orderly mind map. c. Observing. The teacher found that there were improvement in every treatment. Based on the data, there is an improvement from pre-test, post-test 1, and post-test (2). d. Reflecting As reflecting based on the data shown, the improvement of the score has reached the researchers’ satisfication. Table 2. Meeting in Cycle 2 Meeting Topic Activity 5 Treatment 3 The teacher didn’t get the statisfication yet on the first cycle, so the researcher continued the research on the cycle 2. The teacher reviewed the material before and gave some questions so they can remember about the last material. On this treatment, students still did the same treatment but they prepared with the worksheet. Yugafiati & Priscilla : The Use of Mind Map to... 103 6 Treatment 4 The teacher assessed and evaluated the students project. Each group presented their own mind map in front of the class. The teacher makes the reflection about mind map project in learning vocabulary. 7 Post Test In this meeting, the teacher did the the post test which consisted 20 items and the questions are similar with the post test. Table 3. Improvement on Students’ Score of their Tests Pre-test 1 Post-test 1 Post-test2 Minimum score 30 40 50 Maximal score 85 90 95 Mean score 59,833 63,100 80,733 Based on the findings above, thus, it can be concluded that there are some improvements in Cycle two, as follows: a. The students’ score of the post-test 2 is increased. From 63,100 in the post test one become 80,733 in the post test two. This scores showed that the students understand about the topic and they can apply this topic in their real life. b. During the lesson, the students found the new variation on learning English so made them enthusiastic learnt new vocabualy. c. In the reflecting, the researcher and students reflect about this activity gave them more experience to express another personal skill, as also allow them to tried English conversation and presentation. Based on the findings above, it can be concluded that the implementation of mind map enable students to gain some new vocabularies and mind map also can give students motivation in learning vocabulary. In other hand, mind mapping also can develop drawing skill and teach studens to make a note orderly. By asking students to present their mind map in front of the class can motivate them to read frequently and to learn and remember the vocabulary that they wrote there. But actually the researchers also have some problem faced in implementing mind map. The problem that found as follow; 1. Since the group is depend on the teacher so the class is noisy for a while because some of students cannot join with their common group mate; 2. At the first cycle was found there is a group that still can’t understand about the instruction so they did the mind map again; 3. the duration in every meeting is limited that the students could not express the better result in made colorfull or eye catching mind map. In addition, from the data of test, it can be seen that there were the improvement of students’ vocabulary mastery after the treatment. On the first cycle, after teaching students by using mind map, the students tried to make good mind map with less experience. During the treatments the researchers monitored the activities of the students. The project was done in group so the researcher would discuss the togetherness in the group. The researcher made the small note about the activities of every the students. The result would be seen from the students’ work and presentation in their member group. ELTIN Journal, Volume 7/II, October 2019 104 Furthermore, the data also revealed that in the second cycle, students became more serious. They already understood about the concept and also the materials they are learning. The formation of students in groups also can increase students English speaking time while discussed their job and discussed the problem until found the solution. Students are interested in learning vocabulary using mind map. E. CONCLUSION Based on the findings above, it can be concluded that the use of min map could improve students’ vocabulary in grade 8 SMP Waringin Bandung. In addition, by using the mind map Students also could solve the problem with their group and support each other to improve their vocabulary. This condition creates good effects to the English teachers who presents the English material teaching in the classroom. This research was conducted on two cycles with seven meeting; three meetings were for test, and four meting were for treatment. In every cycle covered the step of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. From the data collected by the researchers, it can be concluded that the use of mind map in teaching vocabulary could improve students score. This indicates that mind Map is one of good method. Because we can see the improvement score on pre test from 59,833 increased becomes 63,100 on post test one, and becomes 80,733 on post test two. It is strongly recommended for the teacher to teach vocabulary, this method can be refreshment for the students so can decreased boredom atmosphere teaching learning process. F. REFERENCES Alqahtani, M. (2015). The Importance of Vocabulary in Language Learning and How to be Taugh. International Journal of Teaching and Education III3. (3) : 21 – 34. Argawati, N. . (2017). Think-Pair-Share: It’s Implementation to Improve Students’ Capability on Understanding Grammar on the Second Semester Students of STKIP Siliwangi. 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