Computer
Assisted Language Learning (CALL) offers a wide range of educational, programs,
resources, software, journals, organizations, software tutorials including all
types of exercises for grammar drills, vocabulary, listening and pronunciation exercises,
games, etc. for teaching language in classroom.
CALL has been
used since the 1960s and 1970s, but it still lacks a clear research methods.
CALL development can be divided into tree phases (Moras, 2001):
a.
Behaviorist: CALL was implemented in the 1960’s and
70’s when the audio-lingual method was widely used. This provided students with
drills and practice. In this phase, the computer is used as a tutor, presenting
drill exercises without feed-back component, i.e. not including interactive
components.
b.
The Communicative approach focuses more on using forms
than on the forms themselves. These programs provide skill practice in a
nondrill format (e.g. language games, reading, and text reconstruction). In
this phase the computer is still used as a tutor, but it gives students
choices, control and interaction. Other CALL models use the computer as
stimulus.
c.
The current integrative CALL approach is based on
multimedia computers and the Internet that combine text, graphics, sound,
animation and video.
Students use a computer as a trendy and useful device,
which enables them to be close to the world, the Internet and WWW are very
motivating, offering a wide range of authentic material and promoting
development of new learning strategies. Students can also create their own web
sites or projects, according to their individual needs, inside and outside the
classroom; using e-mails, articles, class-conferencing, etc.
Five guidelines
designed to help teachers in implementing computer-networked activities in
language acquisition:
(1) Consider
your goals
Since reasons
for using the Internet range from motivation or distraction to improvements in
computer skills, the teacher should have self-defined goals in order to use it
successfully in the classroom.
(2) Think Integration
Internet gives
opportunities to communicate by e-mail and to have pen pals, but that is not
enough. The teacher should be deeply involved in activities and integrate them
into the learning process, by including e-books, e-journals, joint work on seminars
and by supplying other students with information.
(3) Don’t
Underestimate the Complexity
The teacher
should also be aware of possible difficulties, such as depending on laboratory
schedules, malfunctioning hardware or software, missing partner students,
delays, differences in background, language and experience.
Communicative
approaches to language teaching and learning recognize the importance of
linking language learning, practice and use of computer technologies. The
classroom should be a place where students engage in the learning process,
sparked by activities that motivate them. Well-chosen goals and good teaching
organization make students feel that their training will result quite quickly
in the ability to use language, computers and in communication activities.
Adapted by:
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