Computer assisted language learning

Computer assisted language learning

• 1.
  The ABC ofComputer Assisted Language Learning
• 2.
  Three Phases ofCALL Though CALL has developed gradually over the last 30 years, this development can be categorized in terms of three somewhat distinct phases: - behavioristic CALL - communicative CALL - integrative CALL.
• 3.
  Behavioristic CALL  Thefirst phase of CALL, conceived in the 1950s and implemented in the 1960s and '70s, was based on the then- dominant behaviorist theories of learning. Programs of this phase entailed repetitive language drills and can be referred to as "drill and practice"  Drill and practice courseware is based on the model of computer as tutor .In other words, the computer serves as a vehicle for delivering instructional materials to the student. The rationale behind drill and practice was not totally spurious, which explains in part the fact that CALL drills are still used today.  Briefly put, that rationale is as follows: - Repeated exposure to the same material is beneficial or even essential to learning - A computer does not get bored with presenting the same material and it can provide immediate non-judgmental feedback.
• 4.
   A numberof CALL tutoring systems were developed for the mainframe computers which were used at that time. One of the most sophisticated of these was the PLATO system, which included vocabulary drills, brief grammar explanations and drills, and translations tests at various intervals.  In the late 1970s and early 1980s, behavioristic CALL was undermined by two important factors. First, behavioristic approaches to language learning had been rejected at both the theoretical and the pedagogical level. Secondly, the introduction of the microcomputer allowed a whole new range of possibilities.
• 5.
  Communicative CALL The secondphase of CALL was based on the communicative approach to teaching which became prominent in the 1970s and 80s. Proponents of this approach felt that the drill and practice programs of the previous decade did not allow enough authentic communication to be of much value. Communicative CALL:  focuses more on using forms rather than on the forms themselves;  teaches grammar implicitly rather than explicitly;  allows and encourages students to generate original utterances rather than just manipulate prefabricated language, and  uses the target language exclusively and creates an environment in which using the target language feels natural, both on and off the screen.
• 6.
   Several typesof CALL programs were developed and used during the phase of communicative CALL. In these programs, the computer remains the "knower-of-the- right-answer” and it represents an extension of the computer as tutor model. But - in contrast to the drill and practice programs - the process of finding the right answer involves a fair amount of student choice, control, and interaction.  In addition to computer as tutor, another CALL model used for communicative activities involves the computer as stimulus. In this case, the purpose of the CALL activity is to stimulate students' discussion, writing, or critical thinking.  The third model of computers in communicative CALL involves the computer as tool. In this role, the programs do not necessarily provide any language material at all, but rather empower the learner to use or understand language. Examples of computer as tool include word processors, spelling and grammar checkers, desk-top publishing programs, and concordancers.
• 7.
  Integrative CALL  Integrativeapproaches to CALL are based on two important technological developments of the last decade - multimedia computers and the Internet.  Multimedia technology - exemplified today by the CD-ROM - allows a variety of media (text, graphics, sound, animation, and video) to be accessed on a single machine.  What makes multimedia even more powerful is that it also entails hypermedia. That means that the multimedia resources are all linked together and that learners can navigate their own path simply by pointing and clicking a mouse.
• 8.
   Advantages  Firstof all, a more authentic learning environment is created, since listening is combined with seeing, just like in the real world.  Secondly, skills are easily integrated, since the variety of media make it natural to combine reading, writing, speaking and listening in a single activity.  Third, students have great control over their learning, since they can not only go at their own pace but even on their own individual path, going forward and backwards to different parts of the program, honing in on particular aspects and skipping other aspects altogether.
• 9.
   Electronic communicationand the Internet  For the first time, language learners can communicate directly, inexpensively, and conveniently with other learners or speakers of the target language 24 hours a day, from school, work, or home.  This communication can be asynchronous (not simultaneous) through tools such as electronic mail (email), which allows each participant to compose messages at their time and pace, or in can be synchronous (synchronous, "real time") through programs and platforms that allow people all around the world to have not only one-to-one communication, but also one-to-many. This allows a teacher or student to share a message with a small group, the whole class, a partner class, or an international discussion list of hundreds or thousands of people.
• 10.
   Computer MediatedCommunication allows users to share not only brief messages, but also lengthy (formatted or unformatted) documents - thus facilitating collaborative writing - and also graphics, sounds, and video.  Using the World Wide Web (WWW), students can search through millions of files around the world within minutes to locate and access authentic materials (e.g. newspaper and magazine articles, radio broadcasts, short videos, movie reviews, book excerpts) exactly tailored to their own personal interests. They can also use the Web to publish their texts or multimedia materials to share with partner classes or with the general public.
• 11.
   CALL AuthoringPrograms • enable the speedy development of CALL materials. • offer a do-it-yourself approach that is within the capabilities of the average language teacher who has no knowledge of computer programming. • provide a range of pre-set activities.
• 12.
   Intelligent CALL(ICALL) • The extent to which the computer is capable of analyzing learners’ errors has been a matter of controversy. • The possibilities and limitations of computers programs in diagnosing learners’ errors and providing appropriate feedback. • The development of parsers (syntactic analysis programs) and speech technology software are beginning to make a significant impact on CALL.
• 13.
   Computer AidedAssessment (CAA) and Language Learning Any instance in which some aspect of computer technology is used as part of the assessment process. CAA may include tests that take a similar form to CALL exercises (multiple-choice and gap-filling format), but it may also extend to using computers for onscreen marking of students’ word-processed writing and using a spreadsheet or database to keep a record of students’ grades. DIALANG is a major European Union project aimed at providing effective diagnosis of language competence in 14 EU languages. It uses online tests, including placement and self-assessment tests, as key tools in this process.
• 14.
   Whole-Class Teachingand CALL Working with the whole class is possible through the use of interactive whiteboards, a touch-sensitive projection screen that allows the teacher to control a computer by touching the whiteboard rather than using a keyboard or mouse, although these can still be used. Interactive whiteboards in combination with loudspeakers offer a wide range of activities in the languages classroom, and CALL software designed both for use in computer labs and with interactive whiteboards for whole class teaching is now widely available.
• 15.
   The futureof CALL Human Language Technologies (HLT) is likely to make an increasing impact on CALL. Concretely, this impact comes from the work on: - Natural Language Processing, - Machine Translation, - Corpus linguistics, and - speech technology.
• 16.
  REFERENCES Davies, G. (2006).Language education, computer- assisted. In B. Keith (ed.), Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics (pp. 460-470). Oxford: Elsevier. Warschauer M. (1996). Computer Assisted Language Learning: an Introduction. In Fotos S. (ed.), Multimedia language teaching (3-20). Tokyo: Logos International: 3-20.