Using Mind Maps as a Strategy for Vocabulary Acquisition in Chinese Universities

Vocabulary acquisition has become a critical criterion in English learning. The present vocabulary learning strategy is rather primitive and inefficient as most students learning new words by rote recitation. Mind Maps, a technique to organize and express knowledge visually and hierarchically might be a new strategy for vocabulary learning. This paper attempts to demonstrate the problems that most Chinese students face in vocabulary acquisition, analyze the theoretical foundations of mind maps and outline the patterns of vocabulary mind maps in vocabulary learning.