Mind Mapping and the development of the textual component of writing competence in french as a foreign language

Abstract

This article examines the effect of mind mapping on the development of writing competence among second-year secondary school students (2AS) in the Algerian educational context. The study is grounded in the competency-based approach adopted by the Algerian education system since 2003 and draws on Dabène’s (1991) model of writing competence. The analysis focuses on the textual component of writing competence, particularly textual coherence and cohesion, drawing on the theoretical contributions of text linguistics. The research follows a quasi-experimental design comparing a control group and an experimental group through a pre-test/post-test protocol. Students in both groups completed a writing task following an instructional sequence on anticipatory science fiction short stories, during which those in the experimental group benefited from cognitive mediation based on mind mapping throughout all the learning activities. The findings indicate improved writing performance in both groups, with substantially greater progress observed in the experimental group, highlighting the pedagogical value of mind mapping as an effective tool for developing writing competence in French as a Foreign Language (FFL).