This post continues from Language Learning Using Mind Mapping Part 1.
If you’re using Mind Mapping to teach a language, encourage your students to come up with as many words as they can when they are creating their Mind Map.
And remind them that it’s okay to have a “full” mind map.
Be sure to drive home the benefit of pictures—the more, the merrier as well.
If your students are a bit older, you can also try the following technique.
You can expand the earlier mind map to create a visual mind map with some creativity.
Let’s say you’re learning German—Frau is German for lady or missus, and Fraulein is, you might know, a young lady, or Miss.
Try mind mapping with word and image association—add a frowning plump lady for “Frau” and a leaner (still frowning) young lady for the word “Fraulien.”
Humour and imagery stick in your mind like nothing else does, and although this might mean more work (and deson’t expect to find associations for every word) this will make for a fun mind map that will aid you a great deal.
A word of caution, though: This works really well for students whose primary goal is to learn to speak. If you’re looking for formal writing knowledge as well, this map might not be as effective as the earlier one.
Mind maps can also be used to increase your existing vocabulary in any language.
Etymological mind maps (mind maps from roots of words) are a good idea for this.
Have a strong etymological root in the center, and branch out into different words that use that root.
There will be other roots that those words use, and you can branch out of those as well.
For example (using English so we can understand the principle) , let’s say you are mind mapping the root “pathos,” which means “suffering.” Some of your words may be pathology, sympathy, telepathic, and pathetic.
Try and add images, emoticons, or anything visual to make the mind map stick better in your memory.
Now, the word “telepathy” can itself branch off in to other words that use the root “tele-“.
Or, for a more Buzanesque mind map, create sentences with branch words such as “telepathy” or think of other words that are (non-etymologically) related to “telepathy”—maybe communication, sensory, ESP, etc.
Mind Mapping ist groß, nicht wahr?
How do you think you can use mind mapping in language learning and enhancement?
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Mindjet have just announced that Mind Manager 9.0 for Windows has been released.
This Mind Mapping software is one of the leading, if not the lead Mind Map software on the marketplace. Its development, particularly over the last few years has been significant and I am convinced it is well on the way to becoming a must have tool in the corporate environment alongside Microsoft Office.
So what is new in Mind Manager 9.0?
Well here are the main additional feature and improvement areas:
- Power performance (meaning it is faster and uses less computing resources making it easier on the RAM and hard drive access)
- Power Gannt Chart and resource planning (great for project managers who maybe now don’t need to export or integrate with separate PM software)
- Slide Presentations (an addition to the exisiting presentation mode that gives greater flexibility)
- Dynamic Outlook Dashboards (the interface with MS OUtlook has long been a bone of contention with power users of Mind Manager and so this is a huge leap forward for them)
- WYSIWYG Printing (this means you will get what you want on the print output much easier than the fiddling around with previous versions)
- Image and Icon Library (One of my biggest gripes with Mind Manager upgrades in the past is that it left out previously good and usable images and provided a new range. I was never quite sure why. Let’s hope this new library is in addition to what is available in versions 7 and
- Enhanced Interface and Usability Improvements (this is about being better integrated with Microsoft Office which is never a bad thing)
So all in all what is a very impressive piece of software (when you know how to use it right) has just got better.
Of course there are many features that will go unused and with such a powerful tool it is easy to get lost and completely under utilise the software.
Mind Manager is a powerful productivity tool when you know what you are doing and you have a structure and system in place to guide you in its use.
My Business Profit Productivity Blueprint will show you exactly how to be infinitely more productive and take far more control of your professional life using Mind Manager.
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Mind maps can be truly universal—with the right mind maps, language barriers fall apart. The images and branches should give people an idea of what the mind map is trying to convey.
Here’s the twist: Language Learning Using Mind Mapping is also a great way of using this tool.
A new language is always learnt by association.
If you were ever in a foreign country, you’ll realize that the words in your vocabulary in the foreign tongue are strongly skewed toward a set of related words—for example, hotel, complaint, no hot water, and $^&#*@!
The mind mapping technique, in fact, has been used with great success in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around the world, especially in the United States.
How do you harness the power of mind maps to learn a new language, teach a new language, or expand your current vocabulary?
Remember that language learning mind maps are mostly about retention, so the factors that increase retention (colour, strong associations and images) must be emphasized during mind mapping.
One of the ways to do it is to do it by theme.
So, a “restaurant and bar” mind map will branch off into words that you think relate to it. Perhaps your mind map branches will be eating, drinking, and date, with each having several branches of their own.
What you can do is write the word in the new language, along with a picture, if possible, and/or in your native language.
This technique works really well with pictures, so be sure to use as many as you can.
Also use as many colours as possible to group similar words. One of the techniques used by Tony Buzan is colour coding the words in the mind map into those that are the same as, similar to, or completely different from the native language.
Keep learning mind maps in a place where you can look at them often—your refrigerator door, office board, or even in your car.
If you’re creating these mind maps using mind mapping software (a great idea, since it’s much easier to insert relevant pictures in the mind map), use them as your computer’s wallpaper. It’s amazing how much you’ll learn!
In the next installment, we will take a deeper look at how to use Mind Mapping for learning another language.
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There are lots of things changing on this site at the moment and one of those is a series of Mind Mapping Videos I have put together as part of a free introductory video course.
This course is designed to get you started with understanding how you can benefit from the Mind Map and start introducing it into the way you organise your thoughts and ideas.
It covers the following areas:
All of this can be found in the Free 7 part introductory course. The sign up box can be found at the top right hand side of any page of the site and you will get your first video instantly.
You might want to watch the short video on the right hand side of this page to give you a better overview of what is in this course before you commit and sign up.
I have found the inclusion of the Mind Map into my thinking toolset has been one of the most significant advances I have personally made in my own growth and so I can highly recommend it.
Of course it is always important to remember that the Mind Map and the Mindmapping process is just a tool that you can apply to just about any thought process.
The reason why so many people rave about it is because of the apparent supercharging effect it has on your mental performance because there are areas where it can provide astonishing improvements.
In particular these are:
- Greater levels of concentration and focus
- Improved memory and recall
- Increased levels of personal effectiveness and productivity
I think to sum it up in a single sentence I would say that using Mind Maps has made thinking far easier and much more productive for me as I know it has done and continues to do for hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions of people from around the world.
So let’s give you a free introduction to Mind Mapping with this video course.
Watch the short video at the top right hand side of the site and let’s get you started on boosting your thinking powers and improving your productivity.
When you have started watching the videos, do come back and let me know what you think in the comments section
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Just a quick note for you. I have started adding some new resources to this Mind Mapping Blog.
I am scouring the web and gathering together all of the great resources (web pages, videos, free guides etc) related to the Mind Map and am going to put them on one easy to access page. So if you know of any that are worthy of entry into such an esteemed directory, then do let me know via the comments section below.
Perhaps one of the best ways to become acquainted with the Mind Map is to see other people’s examples and on this new page of the site I shall be gathering as many as I can to share with you and help you understand the sheer versatility of this amazing tool. I have put the first couple up already so go take a look.
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Adding colour to your mind map is like “adding wings to a tiger” (it’s an actual Chinese phrase, by the way). It makes the mind map work better for you.
Here are seven things you can use colour for, in your mind maps.
Use colour in your mind maps to:
- Make the information “stick” better in your mind. After all, pretty things are retained better.
- Distinguish between the different branches of your mind maps.
- Clarify the association between different concepts, and club together similar ones in different branches.
- Indicate meaning through colour coding—red for negatives, green for positives, and yellow for “not sure”.
- Brand your product or company. You can use your company’s house colours in your mind maps to build team spirit and branding.
- Make mind mapping interesting by waking up the sleeping child in you.
- Get an excuse to finally request those markers you have been eyeing in the stationery department.
As you can see, colours add more than prettiness to your mind map.
What are some of the other reasons you use colour in your mind maps? Use the Comments section to let the world know!
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There are rules in everything—yes, even in mind mapping, which some would say is supposed to be a free-thinking concept!
However, Tony Buzan’s rules for mind maps are interpreted as guidelines by some (no prizes for guessing whether they followed the rules in their mind maps), and with good reason.
Does it really matter that your mind maps do not have a picture for their main ideas, or that you are unable to locate that darn option for changing colours in your mind mapping software?
Rules are meant to be broken. What they don’t say though is that you need to know the rules to break them. So, let’s look at the mind mapping “rules” so that we can know which ones to break!
Rule no. 1 states that you must start at the center of a blank sheet of landscape-oriented paper. This seems more intuitive and convenient, so I wonder why you might want to violate this.This is a good idea, if not a rule.
Rule no. 2 advises us to use a picture for the central idea of our mind maps. Here’s a rule many people are not too crazy about. While it might make mind mapping more interesting, and the mind maps more attractive, many percieve it is not always possible—for example, using a picture for abstract themes is tough for many. There is also the age old excuse “I can’t draw”
Rule no. 3 talks about using colours throughout the mind map. There is always the danger of a rainbow gone weird look with taking this rule too seriously. I’d just say—consider your purpose—is it a note-taking mind map, or a mind map meant to teach others something? You might want to tone down the neon green if it’s to be presented at an academic conference (unless it’s a mind mapping conference).
Rule no. 4 advises mind mappers to connect the main branches to the central image and branch out from that. Sound advice, and this seems to be one of the central distinguishing features of a mind map. If you’re going to call your creation a mind map, you’ve got to follow this one.
Rule no. 5 simply says, “Make your branches curved, organic and flowing, tapering outward.” Why will my mind maps be better if you followed this one? It’s simply because this design gently leads the eye to the branches from the central idea and other branches. This is important—remember those psychedelic colours? It also distinguishes your mind maps from flowcharts, especially with mind mapping software.
Rule no. 6 is a hotly debated one. It says, “Use one keyword per line.” Following this is getting more and more difficult, as mind mapping gets serious about its new avatar as a visual knowledge management and representation system. (Did I actually type out that phrase?). Here is not the time and place to debate the benefits of doing this, suffice to say that when doing hand drawn maps for taking notes it is VITAL to focuse on one word per line.
Rule no. 7 asks mindmappers to use images throughout their mind maps. This is great advice, but not for all. If you’ve got to take down notes at a great speed, don’t try drawing images and expect them to be works of art – stick figures will suffice. If you can, try adding images later.
Rule no. 8 is the one I like best: Develop your own personal style of mind maps. Mind maps are, in the end, about you. If lists work best for you, go for one with lists. If you can only work with green and red (each of us has his/her quirks), go ahead. Creating your personal style using mind mapping software may be a challenge—but not impossible.
Rule no. 9 states: Use emphasis and show associations in your mind map. Great idea—emphasis helps suggest a hierarchy in concepts, which is often of importance. Rarely, as we know so well, is everything equal in life!
Rule no 10, the last one, says, “Use ‘radiant’ hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.” Embracing the branches is not just something environmentalists do, apparently! Let’s say your mind map has two branches that are somehow related. Bracketing them together by either shading them a different colour, or by enclosing them in an outline, is a great way to show the relationship between the two. Clearly, a practical guideline.
So, there you have it: The ten rules of mind mapping, and here’s one that really should be on the list: Have fun mind mapping. If you’re not having fun doing it, don’t!
PS – Make sure you download your free copy of “Get Started With Mind Mapping” that you will find at the top right hand side of this page. It contains everything you need to know for you to get started using Tony Buzan’s creation – including the rules and example mind maps.
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