Farias Valderrama Camila

7/28/2019 Farias Valderrama Camila

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CALL stands for Computer Assisted Language Learning and it can be defined as the

search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning.

With the development of technology, computers are widely used and much research

has been done on the application of computers in language teaching and learning area.

The aim of developing CALL is not to provide language with novelty but to improve the

quality of language teaching. CALL design and implementation should meet the needsof L2 learners. CALL as a field requires a lot of knowledge from many different

disciplines and areas as there is always something different to investigate and

research.

CALL AND TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE LEARNING

Language Learning and Teaching is a two-way communication.

1st Traditional Language Learning

Fixed places,large amounts of papers and chalks

Teachers role: teacher centered

Ss dont have their own autonomy

Ss crowded in a classroom

For Teaching and Learning speaking and listening, the audiolingual method was the

best choice; for reading and writing,the cognitive code and communicative are

priorities.

2nd CALL SYSTEM:

Things should be more flexible to its Ls

It should be a mixture of closed and opened approaches since its not a

boundary classroom and Ls are different.

It includes highly interactive and communicative support for

listening,speaking,reading and writing (extensive of multimedia CD-ROMS and

Internet)

Advantages Disadvantages

Makes language learning and teachingflexible

Ls lack of technical competence

Engaged Ls (colourful,pics,videos) Poor intervention among Ls

Most innovative area in the practice offoreign or L2 teaching and learning

Differences between Traditional Language Learning and CALL

The main difference between traditional language learning and teaching- also called

traditional language teaching- and CALL is that knowledge about traditional languagelearning and teaching probably does not apply directly to CALL because of the different


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configuration of variables such as Ss and Ts roles, location, and interactivity.Therefore, the relationship between knowledge of classroom language teaching andknowledge of CALL should be considered tentative, that is, not definite. However, theremust be some principles of L2 teaching and learning that derive from and contributetoward both the traditional method and CALL.

In a classroom where CALL is implemented, a student-computer communication isestablished; therefore, Ss need to learn a new communication system in order to beable to interact with the computer since the computer does not communicate by meansof words but by means of graphic presentation, sound effect, and animated characters.Besides, the communicative tasks or activities are also different. But in a traditionalclassroom, the T provides the topic-specific situation for Ss to make use of language asmuch as they can, but as the traditional classroom is far from any similarities to the reallife situation, the T has to tell the Ss to use their imagination.

Innovation in language teaching and learning technology, especially those like CALL,which offer challenges not only to the established roles of Ts and Ss, the nature of

materials and the organization of classroom, but indeed to the language curriculum asa whole, need to be provided with educational rationale.

CALL has been classified from many perspectives:

The first one by Tim Johns offers four approaches to computer assisted languageteaching:

a) To inject the learner with knowledge.

b) To give the learner drills and exercises.

c) A total immersion in the learning process.

d) To see the learner as somebody who can discover rules.

Another classification is from learners and teachers perspectives:

* From the learners perspective, Kemmiss classification scheme is divided into fourparadigms: instructional, revelatory, conjectural and emancipatory.

In the instructional paradigm, everything is programmed beforehand therefore learnersare passive. There are less two-way communications between learners and computer.

The revelatory paradigm includes activities such as simulations or problem-solvingwhere things are revealed gradually to learners.

The conjectural paradigm requires the learners to have some basic knowledge ofcomputer technology because it covers activities in which the learner explores in anunstructured way.

Finally, the emancipatory paradigm refers to the use of computers purely as tools, e.g.for word processing or online dictionary use.


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Classification of CALL from the teacher's perspectives

The good teacher is seen as a knowledge source that presents the language materialand offers explanations, leads practice and finally tests. Traditionally teachers alsooffer opportunities for language use in relation to a particular topic or situation, controlthe syllabus, and provide feedback e.g. through correction and testing. The introductionof computers in language teaching was initially expected to have an impact on theteacher's role, although this now seems likely to be a slow process. From teacher'sperspective, CALL can be classified as tutor, Socratic, tutee and tool.

CALL as tutor framework employs the computer programs as tutor of foreign language.In order for the computer to be a tutor of this matter, the computer would beprogrammed as an expert in language teaching. Like a traditional teacher, theseprograms could teach the students in that subject, evaluate the student's results, keeprecords of how the student is progressing, note the student's weaknesses anddetermine what exercise should be dealt with next. In theory, it seems that computerswill play a greater role in the classroom than the teacher. Two assumptions seem to be

made for the tutor role. First, the teacher is not present and second, that CALL work istaking place in self-access mode outside the conventional classroom.

Socratic is teaching method which prefers teaching by asking instead of by telling.Socratic Method requires calling on students without giving them prior notice. TheSocratic Method encourages participants to reflect and think indecently and critically.CALL programs are authored by means of question-and-answer drill. It is just likedialogue drill in language teaching classroom

CALL as TUTEE places the emphasis in the learners being firmly in control, teachingthe computer what to do rather than the other way round. In order to achieve this, thelearner must have knowledge of an artificial language such as Visual Basic. To carryout a function the learner must enter a series of instructions in the machine.

CALL AS A TOOL

CALL is like a learning toll and the learner is not controlled by any programs. It is

an open teaching method.

We can distinguish 4 tools (although there are many):

1)Video conferencing: participant can see each other and communicate with eachother via Tv,cameras and screen. It saves time. People from different places can

communicate at the same time. However, this technology may have some

disadvantages:

a) This technology has not popularized

b) The picture is not as clear as people expect

c)Low speed of the net, sometimes sound and picture cant be well matched.

E-mail

E-mail is getting to be more and more common. It has some advantages:


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* It is quick, an e-mail message can be delivered almost anywhere in the world in just afew minutes.

* It is possible to get an answer almost immediately.

* It is much cheaper than long distance telephoning.

* Large amounts of information can easily be sent by e-mail.

However, it has disadvantages as well. While in theory we can get a reply to an e-mailmessage very quickly, it might not always happen in practice. If you do not receive ananswer quickly, you will not know why:

* The message may have not be delivered;

* The other person may have not checked their e-mail;

* They may have decided not to answer;

* It may take some time get the information you want.

The World Wide Web

If you have an internet connection and a program to read Web files, you can takeadvantage of this useful resource. There are three main ways in which the Web canassist with teaching languages:

* Find resources which you can download/ print and use with a class.

* Allow you Ss to find resources on their own or use specific material on-line.

* Create your Web pages/ let your Ss create their own Web pages.

Advantages and disadvantages to using the Web with students.

Advantages:

* Provides students with authentic language.

* Constantly updated information.

* Real communication.

* Motivating.

* Relevant to content-based instruction.

Disadvantages:

* Big files can be slow to load and the wait time can be maddening for your students.


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* There is so much information that it may be too time-consuming to find the what youwant.

* Some web sites are thin in substance.

* Users can get lost in cyberspace.

A good tool for language learning is a CD-ROM. It is a compact disk, which can containamounts of information and is accessible in CD-ROM drive. It is suited for storinginformation requiring a huge amount of memory.

As a conclusion we can say that both traditional language learning and CALL haveadvantages and disadvantages. But using computers to assist language learning andteaching is the certainty and necessity of technological development. CALL has beenwidely adopted around the world and it will become a major approach of languagelearning and teaching. However CALL has not been developed everywhere, it's stillnecessary to study how to develop CALL in different institutions for English language

learning and teaching. But what is important is that

CALL design and implementation should match the users' needs since CALL is notalways better

than traditional language learning and teaching method. So before designing the CALLsystem, we should have an investigation to the users including students and teachers.

Arias ,Celeste

Farias,Nadia

Palavecino,Agustin

Valderrama,Camila

Yapura,Agustina

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Farias Valderrama Camila