THE EFFICACY OF CONCEPT MAPPING IN UNIVERSITY-LEVEL ELT

HASAN ALISOY

Nakhchıvan State Unıversıty Azerbaıjan

Keywords: Concept Mapping, English Grammar Instruction, Pedagogical Techniques, Syntax Mastery, Nakhchivan State University, ELT (English Language Teaching) Students, Evaluative Instruments, Predicate Analysis

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Abstract

This study deals with the application of concept mapping as a pedagogical tool in the instruction of English grammar. Confronted with the intrinsic complexities and multifaceted nature of English grammar - from its expansive terminologies to intricate classifications - educators often grapple with efficacious teaching methods, especially within the context of a foreign language setting. While foundational grammar instruction for novice to pre-intermediate ESL learners poses its own set of challenges, advanced pedagogical grammar concepts prove even more daunting for ELT students, notwithstanding their reasonably solid English grammar foundation. In pursuit of optimizing grammar comprehension among students, various methodologies were experimented with. Notably, the incorporation of Concept Mapping tools emerged as the most propitious. An empirical study, undertaken during the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, assessed the efficacy of concept mapping vis-à-vis alternative approaches among second-year ELT students at Nakhchivan State University. For this endeavor, a cohort of thirty students was stratified into three distinct groups.