International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review

The research aims to investigate experimentally mapping mind method in teaching EFL on special needs learners. The sample of the research is 3 Down syndrome and Autism learners from 3-6 years. Mapping mid method is not new but the new is teaching Down syndrome and Autism learners English foreign language in Iraq. Down syndrome and Autism children are considered special needs, they have some delete in production skill. Therefore, the challenge is to teach special needs learners English language through mapping mind method, which is focused on the association the word with picture or illustration. Thus, the word easily can be learned and memorized. It has hypothesized that there is no significant differences among the sample of the research in learning English through this method. The research has applied observations as a tool of collecting the data. The results have shown amazing developing in acquiring English foreign language. The sample could response and product English words although they could not produce Arabic words as much as they could in English. Thus, the null hypothesis of the research is rejected and the research has recommended teaching the slow learners and Down syndrome learners English language through this method. 1.0 INTRODUCTION OF THE RESEARCH 1.1 The Problem of the Research Special needs learners need special instructional pacing, frequent feedback, corrective instruction, and modified materials, all administered under conditions sufficiently flexible for learning to occur. Special needs learners usually have low IQ; also their most obvious characteristic is a limited attention span compared to more able students. To keep these students actively engaged in the learning process requires more than the usual variation in presentation methods (direct, indirect), classroom climate (co-operative, competitive), and instructional materials (films, workbooks, co-operative games, simulations). If this variation is not part of your lesson, these students may well create their own variety in ways that disrupt your teaching. Other immediately noticeable characteristics of special needs learners are their deficiencies in basic skills (speaking, reading, writing, and mathematics), their International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review Volume: 03, Issue: 06 “November December 2020” ISSN 2582-0176 www.ijssmr. org Copyright © IJSSMR 2020, All right reserved Page 39 difficulty in comprehending abstract ideas, and most disconcerting, their sometimes unsystematic and careless work habits. Thus, the current research use mind mapping method to improve the learning process and solve these difficulties. Instead of wasting students' time and effort having them memorize letters, words and ideas, we could clue them into something they could use pictures, illustration, diagram and use these things again and again to learn. 1.2 The Aim of the Research The research aims at investigating experimentally the effect of mapping method in teaching English as a foreign language for special needs learners. 1.3 The Hypothesize of the Research It is hypothesized that there is no statistically significant difference among the observations of the experimental group. 1.4 The Value of the Research The values of the research have summed to the following: 1. Special needs learners are neglected from special education and methods of teaching English as a foreign language in Iraq which are the two branches should investigate their problems. Iraqi policy of teaching special needs students has deleted the foreign language from their learning Sadiq (2017). Thus, the current research has revealed the special needs learners and investigates the problem of their learning. 2. Special needs learners have many difficulties more than normal students therefore they need more studies focused on their difficulties and tries to solve them. 3. The current research has paved the way for special needs methods of teaching English foreign language. 4. The importance of this research lies in the fact that using a specific method in teaching English could assist in enhancing special needs students’ acquiring another language. 5. The results of the research will be useful to guide the Iraqi Ministry of Education and policymakers to take the decision to teach special needs learners another language instead of insisting to follow the traditional subjects. 6. The results will guide teachers to use the right method to their special needs students instead of the traditional one and improving their quality of teaching. 7. It is hoped that the current research will make some contribution towards improving English teaching for Special needs students. 1.5 Relevant Studies Zhany (2018) the study is aimed at exploring the relationship between explicit instruction of mind mapping at the pre-writing stage and the quality of Chinese EFL learners’ argumentative writing. The study has used interviews to collect the data of the study. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review Volume: 03, Issue: 06 “November December 2020” ISSN 2582-0176 www.ijssmr. org Copyright © IJSSMR 2020, All right reserved Page 40 results have shown that the experimental group is better than the traditional method in teaching writing skill. Sadiq (2017) the study is to investigate the use of total physical response for teaching slow learners. The sample of the study is also 3 special needs learners (down syndrome). The previous study has associated the English language with orders or instructions by using the physical responses. The method has proved its effectiveness in teaching the English language for the sample of the study. Riahi (2017) this study attempts to study the effect of individual and collaborative mapping strategies on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The sample of the study is 90 students from pre-intermediate female students from 12-17 years were selected. The finding of the results, there is no statistical significance between the two strategies. Teo, etal (2016) the aim of the study is to introduce lessons for young EFL learners to teach them reading skills according to using the map method. The learners at the end of the study could organize their ideas by drawing learner’s concept maps. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, the research has shown the mapping method and related studies. 2.1 Reconstructive Approach “Reconstruct” means to build or create again (Procter, 1996:1202). Marshall and Rowland (1998: 2) state that students might construct a concept map or chart from the text. In this way they are manipulating the ideas and information, ensuring that they have a real grasp of the material. It is a transformation approach to Sellers (2000: 5) who argues that to make information relevant and useful, students need to transform it in some way. Students need to take information out of its source text and put it into another form or a different format, i.e., creating a concept map, constructing a table or drawing a diagram, i.e., using visual organizers. In addition, Nunan (1989: 35) states that to discriminate the more important information in a text from the supporting details and to organize this information in some way , students are encouraged to transform information contained in a text into diagrams, charts, etc. 2.2 Visual Organizers Visual organizers are defined by Keeley (1998:1) as “simply drawings or formats used to represent information and to show relationships between ideas”. On the importance of visual organizers, Keeley (Ibid.) states that visual organizers help students to think more critically and at higher levels of cognition, and process information at higher levels of comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In other words, they help students better understand and recall the information. Hamblin (1981: 49) argues saying that many pupils International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review Volume: 03, Issue: 06 “November December 2020” ISSN 2582-0176 www.ijssmr. org Copyright © IJSSMR 2020, All right reserved Page 41 learn better visually and that diagrams can be used to summarize and recall what has been read. Johnson (1990:2), on the other hand, exemplifies how some of the most common visual organizers can be used with different types of conceptual relationships. For instance, a tree diagram can be used for classification, analysis, structure, etc. Charts can be used for comparison, contrast, generalization, etc. chain, can be used with the process, sequence, cause/effect and chronology. A sketch can be used with the physical structure, description of facts, space relationships, concrete objects and visual images. The timeline can be used to summarize and show the major events using the form of dates and events. Most students, because of their significance in aiding comprehension and retention can use such visual organizers. Teachers and students should pay considerable attention to them and how to use them with different subject matters. 2.3 The Concept of Mind Map Mapping is a method that uses comprehension/ concentration skills and evolves NT from which each fact or idea relates to every other fact or idea (Dhann, 2001: 8). To Maggie (1996:1) argues that mind mapping promotes active reading and listening, and encourages interaction with the information, which heightens and allows students to personalize the information to suit their particular needs. Cave (2002:1) states that mind maps encourage right brain activity. They help you understand the structure of the information being learned. Seeing the big picture helps you notice how the various ideas relate to each other and sometimes connect the material to other ideas not presented by the author/ lecturer. Demon (1994:4) believes that concept maps provide an extremely effective method of taking notes, which shows the structure of a subject and the relative importance of facts and ideas in addition to the facts themselves.