Enhancing Primary ESL Learners’ Simple Sentence Construction Using the PPT PiWoCa Technique in the Form of Bubble Map—A Literature Review

Abstract

Society of today signifies how English, as a global language, has attained a universal pedestal compared to others. Thus, it is highly demanding and challenging for one to be a proficient and effective language user. In Malaysia, teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) tend to face umpteenth challenges in developing primary ESL learners’ language abilities, especially in the scope of writing. Some of the problems include deprivation of vocabulary, lack of motivation, lack of reading and the influence of multimedia language. Consequently, ESL teachers have to opt for different strategies and approaches to tackle primary ESL learners’ writing skills, particularly in simple sentence construction. Therefore, this study presents a literature review on the use of PowerPoint Picture-Word Card (PPT PiWoCa) technique in the form of bubble map to enhance primary ESL learners’ simple sentence construction. In this study, social constructivist theory and the visual-spatial element in Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory reveal that the PPT PiWoCa technique allows primary ESL learners to brainstorm ideas and construct knowledge in authentic contexts. Similarly, the use of visual representations such as PPT, pictures, word cards and bubble map is able to capture primary ESL learners’ attention in the recognition of words, grammatical functions and sentence structure based on a guided sample of simple sentence construction. With the presence of visual aids, primary ESL learners are able to model the sample given in order to produce meaningful simple sentences.