Word Associations and Mind Mapping

Sample Word Associations. Created with NovaMind for Mac

I know, this post is l-o-o-o-n-g overdue. Can you ever forgive me? I hope that you'll enjoy today's post so much that you'll forget all about how late it has come out!

I had promised in my last post to provide you with an example of making word associations, and that is what I have for you today. I explained this concept in older posts, such as "Building an Effective Vocabulary" and "Completing the Process: Part Two of Building an Effective Vocabulary."

As you examine this method (mind-mapping), remember that it can be used not only with words but with complete phrases also.

In fact, mind mapping is so flexible that you can use it for anything you like, such as Mind Mapping for students in language study, life planning using mind maps, problem solving, brain storming or Mind Mapped lesson plans for teachers of a language class or any other subject.

I have come to appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness of mind mapping so much that I use them all the time in my personal study and in my teaching. And I love them. I think when you start using them and become more familiar with their application, you will wonder how you ever lived without them!

Today's sample was done with NovaMind Express Mind Mapping Software for the Mac. Version 5 is already available for windows and soon to be for the Mac also. Of all the ones I have tried, NovaMind is my favorite pick for excellence of quality and service, but also because they offer the best prices on the market.

I will let the mind-map sample that I have uploaded here do most of the explaining. All I want to point out are a few basic fundamentals.

1. Mind maps can be done on paper by hand, or with Mind Mapping Software, such as in today's sample.
2. A mind map is read clockwise, starting at the 1:00 o'clock position
3. When creating a mind map you begin with the center topic and expand out from there, adding each related topic as sub-topics. 
4. With word associations, use only one word per related topic. This allows for the greatest amount of freedom, creativity and memorization.

Okay, I think that's enough. Go ahead and click on the image to view today's sample enlarged. Try making your own when you are done. I hope you enjoy this technique of mind mapping and as you do it, you will find that you get better and better.

*Please leave your feedback in the comments section. I would like to know how this idea works for you, or if you have any questions or other suggestions.

**Final note: If you follow the above links to NovaMind's Mind Mapping Software website from this page, and you decide to purchase any of their products, NovaMind will give a small (very small) commission to me as a thank you for referring them. This helps keep The Language Station running as a free language resource to everyone.

Completing the Process: Part Two of "Building Effective Vocabulary "

In my last post “Building an Effective Vocabulary,” I suggested that you learn nouns and verbs. Specifically, those that you can use immediately. And I gave you a few key reasons why. My question for you today is, have you tried it? If you have, how’s your word list coming along? If you haven’t, why not?

Now for today’s post, “Completing the Process.”

There is no substitute for vocabulary when learning a language. No matter how correctly you may speak with good grammar, you will NOT be able to speak much at all if your term list is truncated. This is yet another reason why I make no apologies for telling my students to focus on building an effective vocabulary FIRST with their own custom word list, before giving attention to grammar. But as I said in my last post, this doesn’t mean that grammar is completely removed in this approach.

How?

Because the nouns and verbs you choose for your vocabulary are destined to be assembled into complete phrases by YOU, very soon. And this includes some grammar by default, without weighing you down under the heavy burden of understanding how it all works. The benefits for doing this are too many to list here, and now is not the time for me to explain them. I will leave that for my next installment, “Putting Your Vocabulary into Action." For this post, I want to give you the final steps in how to build effective vocabulary. So here we go...

As you choose words for your own customized vocabulary list, group them together into categories and associations. For example, if one of the words you have chosen for your list (only words you expect to use immediately or very soon) is the verb “to buy,” think of nouns that you WOULD “buy” and categorize them with the verb on your list.

As another example, if you have chosen “office” as a word for your custom index, you would then generate several more words associated with “office,” such as computer, paper, printer, pen, telephone, desk, chair etc. Associations and categories like this are extremely helpful.

First, because they show the relationships between actions and objects.

Second, because they make it easier to memorize words systematically in a way that our brains do naturally.

Third, because their relationships allow you to exchange them with other associated words in the phrases you will create from them later on.

The largest benefit to a customized approach like this is that you select only words that will be truly useful to you. This means that you can put them into practice immediately or very soon, so they will not be soon forgotten. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes.

But also, and more importantly, these word lists are tailored to your context. That means you will be PREPARED to speak and understand in real life situations that you expect to find yourself in. All of this will require your imagination, which is an important part of learning by the way.

So that’s it. You now have what it takes to build effective vocabulary quickly, logically, and, systematically. And if you’ve been carefully creative in your selection of words, it’s vocabulary that you will actually use. You can’t beat that! What’s more, seeing the word categories with associations makes learning and using them much more effective. It's a truly powerful start to learning a language quickly and practically. This vocabulary method can be adapted by those learning Asian languages as well, even though the linguistic structures are unique.

In my next post, “Putting Your Vocabulary into Action," I’ll explain what to do with your categorized and associated words list.