EFFECTS OF MIND-MAPPING AND OUTLINING AS PRE-WRITING TECHNIQUES ON DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH WRITING OF EFL STUDENTS: A CASE AT TRA VINH UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

The current study investigated the effects of pre-writing techniques, including mind-mapping and outlining on Vietnamese EFL learners’ descriptive paragraph writing at a university in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Participants include 77 Vietnamese EFL students at Tra Vinh University. Data were collected through a test (pretest and post-test) and a questionnaire with 20 items. Quantitative data were analyzed by using SPSS. The findings showed that the students in experimental group 2 with outline condition had higher post-test scores than those in experimental group 1. Both mind-mapping and outlining achieved significant improvement in terms of grammar, mechanics, content, organization, and vocabulary; however, the development of outline condition is more sharply observed. In addition, the results from the questionnaire administered to two groups showed that students from the two conditions think positively about the role of the pre-writing techniques in their descriptive paragraph writing performance. These insights underscore the significance of employing pre-writing techniques as a valuable tool in enhancing writing skills. Finally, some recommendations for future researchers are also mentioned.