TOPIC 2

 Topic 2: CALL in language education

Call in language education 

 

 

CALL, (Computer Assisted Language Learning) is an interactive method of instruction that helps learners achieve their goals of learning, at their own pace and ability. In this method, computer technology is used in teaching/learning procedures at all stages such as presentation, practice, and feedback.

 

The Three Stages of CALL

•The Behaviorist/ Structural CALL

Consists of exercise and practice materials in which the computer presented a stimulus and the student provided a response.  The computer would analyze student input and provide feedback, and more sophisticated programs would react to student errors by branching out to help screens and corrective activities.

•The Communicative CALL

The focus is on language use rather than language analysis, and grammar is taught implicitly rather than explicitly. It also allows for originality and flexibility in language production by students.

 

•The Integrative CALL

It attempts to address criticisms of the communicative approach by integrating the teaching of language skills into tasks or projects to provide direction and coherence. It also coincided with the development of multimedia technology (providing text, graphics, sound, and animation), as well as computer-mediated communication (CMC).

 

CALL Evaluation

 

•  Linguistic aspects, both in terms of effective presentation of content and in terms of fruitful learner software interaction must be investigated,

• Learner and tutor satisfaction are further important issues of any significant evaluation,

•  The effectiveness of tutorial strategies and navigational procedures integrated into the courseware must be considered,

• levels of progress and results achieved by learning with a given item of courseware are to be examined but difficult to measure

• Guidelines for the most effective learning scenarios in view of different types of courseware need to be part of evaluation and testing, i.e. whether courseware is best used in a classroom setting, for self-study, or as part of a telecooperative learning scenario.