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What is CALL?
Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is briefly defined in a seminal work by Levy (1997: p.1) as “the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning”. -
The history
Computers have been used for language teaching ever since the 1960s.
According to Warschaur & Healey, this 40-year period can be divided into three main stages or phases:
- Behaviorist CALL
- Communicative CALL
- Integrative CALL -
Roles of The Computer in The English Language Classroom
Computer as a tutor for language drills or skill practice
Computer as a tool for writing, presenting and researching
Computer as a medium of global communication -
Advantages & Disadvantages of CALL
Advantage:
1. Interest and motivation
2. Creates students projects
3. Research information
4. Guided and repetitive practice
Disadvantage:
1. Investment of money
2. Investment of time
3. Uncertainly of result
4. Inability to handle unexpected situations -
Period: to
Behaviorist Call
The first form of CALL (in the 1960s–1970s)
Repetitive Language drills
Based on the behaviorist learning model
First designed and implemented in the era of PLATO System (Mainly used for extensive drills, explicit grammar instruction, and translation tests) -
Period: to
Communicative CALL
Emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, A reaction to the Behaviorist approach to language learning, Focusing more on using forms rather than on the forms themselves, Grammar should be thought implicitly, the student should creative original sentence, Corresponds to cognitive theories, Personal computers, Software used in the era included text reconstruction programmers and simulations.
Cognitive theories: Creative process of discovery, expression, and development. -
Period: to
Integrative CALL
The most recent stage of CALL, Integrating technology more fully into language teaching, Communicative CALL being criticized for using the computer in an ad hoc and disconnected fashion, Teachers moving away from a cognitive view of communicative - language teaching to a socio-cognitive view(real language use in a meaningful, authentic context), Multimedia-networked computers.