USING MIND MAPS IN CHINESE FOR ECONOMICS COURSES: EXPERIMENT, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Abstract

In the process of studying Chinese for economics courses, students often face difficulties in memorizing and organizing knowledge, as well as in understanding specialized content and terminology. These difficulties create psychological barriers that adversely affect their motivation to learn. To address this issue, the author conducted an action research that applied mind maps to design, teaching and learning activities in Chinese for economics. The study was carried out over 15 weeks with 86 students majoring in Chinese Language across four classes from the same cohort at a university specializing in foreign language education. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, the author compared the results of pre- and post-tests conducted at the beginning and end of the semester, respectively. Additionally, a survey was administered to investigate students’ perceptions of the teaching and learning activities based on this approach. The results indicated that the challenges students faced were significantly mitigated. Most students expressed a preference for this approach and highlighted several advantages. However, some students also encountered difficulties in completing mind maps and made suggestions to overcome the disadvantages of this approach.