A sound mind map in Italian? What for? To illustrate the use of definite articles, for example. Demonstration.

It is now widely accepted that mind maps are effective in training, including for language teaching.

I have already used a sound mind map to indicate pronunciation. I have also created mind maps to illustrate a grammar point.

Today, I combine the two to create a sound mind map in Italian.

a sound mind map in Italian to learn definite adjectives

Some time ago, I published a French exercise on definite articles. Before doing the same for Italian, I thought it would be a good idea to create an audio mind map in Italian summarising the rules for using these articles. I will then publish an exercise to test comprehension.

To create this sound mind map, I have used Mindomo, a software program that I have been satisfied with for years. And which, in addition, offers features for online education which I believe are unique in the world of mind mapping. In addition, you can work on your smartphone while travelling on public transport, in a waiting room, etc. That's what I did for this map: I started it in a hospital waiting room.

With synchronisation, I was able to continue working on this map on my computer at home. No additional steps were required: as soon as I launched the software on my PC, the new map was already displayed in the correct directory (a good habit to get into if you map frequently, as I do).

A map illustrating the different use cases

Italian is far from being as simple a language as most French speakers believe (especially those who do not know the language).

The definite article depends on:

• the gender and number of the noun to which it refers
• of the initial letter: a vowel, a consonant, a combination of consonants (ST, SP, Z, etc.)

Depending on the situation, you will use different items.

A sound mind map in Italian that appeals to different sensory channels

A mind map is intended for various information channels or different ‘information encodings’:

• the text
• the image or the icon
• the colour of the branch
• the branch position on the map
• the position of the word and image on the branch

Each of these ‘information encodings’ corresponds to different areas of our brain. And also to various types of memories.

This card adds an extra layer of coding: sound, through the pronunciation of the word(s) in Italian. You may be familiar with the Forvo community website which offers pronunciations of words in different languages. This map works in the same way: just click on the ‘Play’ icon next to the word to hear its pronunciation (yes, that's my voice, and the accent is from Liguria, near Genoa).

The document icon next to the words symbolises a note: I have written the translation of each word accompanied by its adjective in French.

You can download this map in PDF and MOM (Mindomo's specific format) formats from our page Free resources in Italian. It is published under Creative Commons licence 4.0 Attribution and ShareAlike. You may therefore reuse it for your lessons, websites, blogs, etc. You may also view it online and listen to the pronunciation on this page.

This card can be used in class to illustrate a lesson on definite articles in Italian. It can also be consulted independently by learners, for example to revise their lesson.

Please feel free to send me suggestions on types of mind maps or other free educational resources that you would like to see on this website. I always respond to these requests as far as possible.

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