by: Irma Damayanti
A. What is CALL?
Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) may be defined as
the search for and study of
applications of the computer in language teaching and learning (Levy, 1997, p.1).
B. A brief history of CALL
CALL's
for the first time can be traced back to the 1960s. Up until the late 1970s
CALL projects were confined majorly to universities, where computer programs
were developed on large mainframe computers. The PLATO project, initiated at
the University of Illinois in 1960, is an important landmark in the early
development of CALL (Marty 1981). In the late 1970s, the arrival
of the personal computer (PC)
brought computing within the range of a wider audience, resulting in a boom in
the development of CALL programs and a flurry of publications. Early CALL
favoured an approach that drew heavily on practices associated with programmed instruction. This was
reflected in the term Computer Assisted Language Instruction (CALI), which
originated in the USA and was in common use until the early 1980s, when CALL
became the dominant term. There was initially a lack of imagination and skill
on the part of programmers, a situation that was rectified to a considerable
extent by the publication of an influential seminal work by Higgins & Johns
(1984), which contained numerous examples of
alternative approaches to CALL. Throughout the 1980s CALL widened its scope,
embracing the communicative approach
and a range of new technologies. CALL has now established itself as an
important area of research in
higher education
C. Types of CALL Programs
CALL
programs/materials include (from ICT4LT Module 1.4):
- CALL-specific software: applications designed to develop and
facilitate language learning, such as CD-ROMs, web-based interactive language
learning exercises/quizzes (see CD-ROM
examples for language learning)
-
Generic software: applications
designed for general purposes, such as word-processors (Word),
presentation software (PowerPoint, see an e-book made by students "Many Moons"), and spreadsheet (Excel), that
can be used to support language learning (see examples of using Excel for language learning &
teaching) *Also see Microsoft
Office Online Templates)
-
Web-based learning programs: online
dictionaries, online encyclopedias, online concordancers, news/magazine sites,
e-texts, web-quests, web publishing, blog, wiki, etc.
- Computer-mediated communication (CMC) programs: synchronous -
online chat; asynchronous - email, discussion forum, message board
D. How Is It Connected To Constructivism?
The design of CALL materials generally takes into consideration principles of language pedagogy and methodology,
which may be derived from different second language learning theories (e.g. behaviourist, cognitive, constructivist).
Constructivist-based instruction often includes providing the learner with skills or support (e.g. modelling, coaching, scaffolding) and
encouraging the learner to actively construct his or her own personal learning experience.
The teacher’s role is to aid the learner in this construction rather than simply providing that information to her or him (Bowers et al., 2010).
The current philosophy of CALL puts a strong emphasis on student-centred materials that allow learners to work on their own.
Such materials usually embody two important features: interactive learning and individualised learning.
E. USES OF CALL IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
This section gives a brief overview of how CALL has
been used or can be used for the purpose of language learning and teaching. The
use of CALL can be divided as follows:
(1) Computer as Drill and Practice,
(2) Computer as Tutor
(3) Computer as Simulation / Problem Solving,
(4) Computer as Game,
(5) Computer as Tool for ELT teachers and learners
(6) Applications of Internet for ELT.
CALL
is very needed it this era of education, because all human resources should
know how technology works in their life.
Sources:
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