Possible Use of Cognitive Maps to Intensify the Study Process

The topicality of this article has been determined by the necessity to look for new approaches in the foreign language teaching area in order to find possibilities for activating students' learning potential. The article deals with three components of the cognition process - perception, memory and thinking and their link to cognitive maps in the teaching and learning process. The views of several psychologists and researchers concerning the concept and use of mind maps have been analysed. The purpose of the article is to present some examples of cognitive maps and offer suggestions how they can be used in the study process. The authors propose several ways how the implementation of cognitive maps in the teaching and learning process creates the link between the previous(existing) and newly acquired knowledge, stimulates students to visualise, investigate and systemize information, take an active part in the study process, develop students' language skills and increase students' active vocabulary.