TOPIC 1

 Topic 1: Introduction to Computer-Assisted Language Learning

A Broad Discipline 

CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) is an interactive method of language learning and teaching in which computer resources and information technology are used to present, reinforce and assess the material to be learned. Teachers are responsible for adapting existing computer materials, videos and other materials to help students achieve their learning objectives at their own pace and ability.
 

It is also computer-assisted and has its origins in Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI), where computers were originally seen as an aid to teachers. The CALL philosophy is more student-centered and lessons allow students to learn on their own using structured and unstructured interactive lessons.

Technology Driving CALL 

 

 

Previously, designers of digital materials were either teachers with little technical knowledge or were competent technicians with no experience in education. Today, CALL materials have evolved from simple tasks such as information fillers and simple programming exercises to interactive multimedia presentations with music, animation and full-scrolling video, increasing the possibilities for learners to interact authentically with native speakers and other language learners of different levels inside or outside the classroom.

A Brief History of CALL 

Over the years, Computer-Assisted Language Learning has developed, like many things.

 

 TIMELINE

First researches about CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) started until 1950 with the first electronic library named “The Brown Corpus of Standart American English” was published. In addition, some simple CALL programs were invented.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Hevioristic CALL dominated the academic society. It was based on habit formation, resembled structural behaviorism and the audio-lingual method. By the end of the 1970s, in the first half of the 1980s, first microcomputers that allows some reading-writing exercises and language games were invented. This invention is one of the most important milestones of technology use in education because it was a big reform for that time, so it caused to characterize these computers as “teacher in a machine”.1990s are more essential for us because in these years, internet connection and desktop computers were invented. They allowed us to use online dictionaries, multimedia language programs and so on. Furthermore, the first step of modern technologic media and developed devices, fast internet connections has been founded.