This document summarizes a thesis presented to obtain a teaching degree in English education. The thesis aims to evaluate the methodology currently used for computer assisted language teaching (CALT) with 11th grade students at Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High School. It discusses the background and justification for using CALT. The introduction provides an overview of the objectives, which include describing CALT, identifying its advantages and disadvantages, determining current English teaching methods, and evaluating teacher and student technology skills. It also proposes developing a guide for teachers on using technology and web tools according to the Ministry of Education program.

1. UNIVERSIDAD MAGISTER
FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN
LICENCIATURA EN ENSEÑANZA DEL INGLÉS
TESIS PARA OPTAR AL GRADO DE LICENCIATURA EN
ENSEÑANZA DE INGLÉS
“APPRAISING THE METHODOLOGY CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED
ON THE USE OF SOFTWARE AND COMPUTER ASSISTED
LANGUAGE TEACHING WITH 11TH GRADERS AT MONSIGNOR
SANABRIA VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL”
JENNIFER ALVARADO SALAS
15 DE MAYO 2015

2. INTRODUCTION
 With the spread and development of English language around the world,
English is used as second language in a country like Costa Rica, at present
the role and status of English is higher than ever as evidenced by its position
as a tool of instruction and curriculum. Nowadays it is important for the
Costa Rican context to improve the language acquisition methodologies with
advanced technology and online resources. No doubt, students find it more
interesting, and it is easier for the teachers to use these new teaching
strategies once they have been properly empowered.
 A concern of many language teachers is to decipher how technology can
help students to learn and practice a second language, it is important to
analyze the use of modern technology to extend the students´ capabilities to
acquire and practice the language outside the classroom.
 Teachers face situations that make them think how to motivate the students
during the learning process. The lack of student’s interest has propitiated to
the teachers, look for alternative methods.

3.  For this reason the purpose of this research is to appraise the methodology
currently implemented on the use of software and Computer Assisted
Language Teaching with 11th graders at Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High
School. It is necessary to value the implementation and impact of new
technologies in the educational context in High School.
 Some students drop out from high school because it is very difficult for them
to acquire a new language, in this case English. Some of them are bored of
taking classes in the same way like chalk, board, and books, so they leave
or fail the English courses.
 Nowadays, with technology in our hands why not to use different devices
and software to encourage our students to learn a new language in an
dynamic and entertained way.
JUSTIFICATION

4. GENERAL OBJECTIVE
 To appraise Computer Assisted Language Teaching (CALT) methodologies currently
implemented with 11th graders at Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High School for the
improvement of English teaching process according to MEP Curriculum Program.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
 To describe the CALT Method and its main characteristics and principles.
 To identify advantages and disadvantages of CALT Method in the English Teaching
process.
 To determine the methodologies currently used in the English lessons at Monsignor
Sanabria Vocational High School.
 To evaluate teachers and students computer literacy and technological skills.
 To develop a proposal of an innovative guide for English teachers on the use of
technology and web based tools according to the MEP Program.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE

5. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High School is a public educational institution
category III, of the Diversified Cycle Technical Vocational. It belongs to the
Desamparados Regional, Educational Circuit 01.
Currently it has an enrollment of 1100 students, aged from fifteen to nineteen,
distributed in the different specialties. The faculty and staff consist of 110
people.
This high school is an official public institution which belongs to the Ministry of
Education in which is taught the common academic lessons besides the
subjects called "specialties" in order to graduate their Technical graduates in
any specific branch such as Industrial, Commercial and Services.

6. In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Education tries to familiarize the teaching-learning
process towards the fact of shaping individuals who will have the knowledge,
attitudes, values, and abilities required for living in a democratic society, making
this individual responding to the exigencies of socio-economic and political
development.
Nowadays, almost every aspect of people´s lives is affected in some way by
technology. As is well known, computers take a very important place in
education as well, but they take an even more important place in language
learning, in fact computers can be a tremendously useful tool for English
language. For this reason the CALL and CALT approaches were created.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

7. COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING AND
TEACHING (CALL/CALT)
The CALT method, English acronym meaning Computer Assisted Language
Teaching is an approach that uses computers and technology as powerful tools
to teach languages, it also uses computers as an aid to the presentation,
reinforcement and assessment of material to be learned, usually including a
substantial interactive element.
CALT method allows students to acquire a second language based on
exercises and practices with the use of computers and specific software which
includes a self-assessment.
Computers have become so widespread in schools and homes and their uses
have been expanded so dramatically, the majority of language teachers must
now begin to think about the implications of computers for language learning
and teaching.

8. CALT method is not a new approach in language teaching field, in fact it has
been used since the 1960´s and 70’s, however as Chapelle (1997) stated there
is still a lack of research method and clear and concise theoretical foundation of
the approach. It was originated in the USA and was in common use until the
early 1980s when CALT became more popular.
For many years foreign language teachers have used the computer to provide
supplemental exercises. In recent years advances in computer technology
have motivated teachers to reassess the computer and consider it a valuable
part of daily foreign language learning.
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CALT

9. Little information about the use of CALT itself is found in our country, but since CALT is a
method based on the use of computers to teach languages we can find that many educational
institutions, teachers and learners themselves, are making use of this approach since many
years ago, however most of the time not using an specific program for language learning.
The Ministry of Public Education (MEP - Spanish acronyms) has explained in the official
English Programs of the country that the purposes of English Language Teaching in Costa
Rican Educational System should respond to the following needs:
1. To offer students a second language that can enable them to communicate within a
broader social-economic context in and outside Costa Rica.
2. To give students a tool to directly access scientific, technological and humanistic
information and, in this way expand their knowledge of the world. (Campos, et. al, 2003)
CALT USED IN COSTA RICA

10. TYPES OF CALT PROGRAMS
Generic software applications are designed for general use :
 Word processors such as Microsoft Word
 Presentation software such as Microsoft Power Point
 Spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel
 Computer-mediated communication (CMC) programs: synchronous - online
chat; asynchronous - email, discussion forum, message board
 Web Browsers.
CALT software applications are designed to promote explicit or implicit
language learning objectives
 CD rooms
 DVD
 Web interactive language learning excersises

11.  Multiple-choice & true/false quizzes
 Gap-filling exercise/cloze
 Matching
 Re-ordering/sequencing
 Crossword puzzles
 Games
 Simulations
 Writing & word-processing
 Web quests/searching
 Web publishing
 Online communication (synchronous and asynchronous)
TYPES OF CALT ACTIVITIES

12. Advantages
 Prove Practices
 Interest and motivation
 Enhance student achievement
 Increase materials for study
 Encourage interaction
 Emphasize the individual needs
 Independence
 Increase global understanding
 Encourage the reading habit
 Critical thinking
 Give instant feedback
CALT ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Disadvantages
 Economic
 Knowledge of computers
 Lack of speaking skill
 Distraction

13. Type of research
 Mixed methodology: Descriptive and Exploratory, considering both quantitative and
qualitative approaches.
Subject
 28 students from the night school, the teacher and the administrative personnel of the
Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High School.
Source of information
 Technique: Survey
 Instrument: Questionnaire, interview, observation
Population
 Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High School, located in Desamparados, eleventh
graders
Sample
 Groups 3-6 and 3-7 of Nigh School, 28 students
RESEARCH FEATURES

14.  Computer Assisted Language Teaching (CALT)
 Advantages of CALT method
 Disadvantages of CALT method
 English teaching process
 Current methodologies used at Monsignor Sanabria Vocational High
School for English teaching
 Teacher’s computer literacy and technological skills
 Students computer skills evaluated through CALT
VARIABLES DEFINITION

15.  Lab equipped with 5 computers
 Low internet connection
 Students show motivation when teacher uses the
computer and video beam
 Lack of computer skills
 Lack of resources
 Use of traditional methods
ANALYSIS OF THE OBSERVATION

16.  Availability to work with CALT
 Lack of resources
 Improvement plan
 New teaching techniques
 Training teachers
 Scholarship for students
ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEW

17. COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE TEACHING (CALT) METHOD
 STUDENT’S INTEREST ON IMPLEMENTING CALT METHOD IN
EFL
ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY APPLIED TO THE STUDENTS
Source: Chart N° 10. Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015
4%
68%
25%
4%
Little interested
Very interested
Interested
I am not sure

18. ADVANTAGES OF CALT METHOD
 ADVANTAGES OF CALT METHOD IN ENGLISH TEACHING
ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY APPLIED TO THE STUDENTS
89%
4% 7%
Yes
Source: Chart N° 11. Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015

19. ENGLISH TEACHING PROCESS
 MOST USEFUL TOOLS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY APPLIED TO THE STUDENTS
41%
10%
31%
14%
3%
Source: Chart N°9. Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015

20. CURRENT METHODOLOGIES USED AT MONSIGNOR SANABRIA
VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENGLISH TEACHING
 CURRENT METHODOLOGIES USED IN ENGLISH TEACHING
ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY APPLIED TO THE STUDENTS
7%
18%
75% Translation Method
TV/DVD/Videos/Movies
Different Methods
Source: Chart N° 13. Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015

21. TEACHER’S COMPUTER LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGICAL
SKILLS
 TEACHERS COMPUTER LITERACY
ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY APPLIED TO THE STUDENTS
Planning lessons
by computer
Video Beam TV/DVD/Movies
Songs Web based tools Internet searching
Source: Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015

22. STUDENT’S COMPUTER SKILLS EVALUATED THROUGH CALT
 ATTITUDE OF THE STUDENTS TOWARDS COMPUTERS
ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY APPLIED TO THE STUDENTS
21%
68%
11%
Confortable
Good
Need to improve
Source: Chart N° 18. Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015

23. Conclusions
 Use of computers and internet
 Students positive attitude towards
computers and internet
 The use technology in the
classroom
 Tradional Method vs CALT Method
 CALT implementation necessity
 Teachers computer literacy
 Educational opportunities
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations
 Learning about CALT
 Motivation
 Increase the use technology in
the classroom
 Provide learning tools
 Decrease tradional methods
 Train teachers
 More educational opportunities
and resources
 Use of web based tools

24. General objective
 To implement a workshop for the English teachers with an innovative guide on the usage of web
based tools in order to improve the English teaching methodology at Monsignor Sanabria
Vocational High School.
Specific objectives
 To design the training workshop for the English teachers about the use of 3 web-based tools in
English lessons.
 To implement the training workshop for the English teachers using the 3 different web-based tools
to create interactive games and exercises to the students.
 To analyze the results of the implementation of the different web-based tools at Monsignor
Sanabria Vocational High School in the English teaching learning process.
 To develop a cost-benefit analysis to determine the financials pros and cons of implementing this
proposal.
PROPOSAL OF AN INNOVATIVE GUIDE FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS
ON THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND WEB BASED TOOLS
ACCORDING TO THE MEP PROGRAM

25. Scope
 The current proposal is on the English teaching and learning methodology improvement in
which the main objective is about using the web-based tools as a facilitator to improve such
experience for both teachers and students.
 The English teachers will be trained on how to use the following 3 web-based tools:
CyberL@b, Hot Potatoes™ and JClic.
 This proposal will show to the English Teachers on how to use these 3 web-based tools and
interactive games in order to they can find a variety of new techniques and different
activities. Using these different activities, teachers will have a proper understanding on how
to get the best use of these technological tools and in this way students will be motivated
and will learn more than using traditional methods.
PROPOSAL OF AN INNOVATIVE GUIDE FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS
ON THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND WEB BASED TOOLS
ACCORDING TO THE MEP PROGRAM

26. Proposal schedule
PROPOSAL OF AN INNOVATIVE GUIDE FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS
ON THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND WEB BASED TOOLS
ACCORDING TO THE MEP PROGRAM
ACTIVITY
PLANNED START
DATE
DURATION
COMPLETION
%
CyberL@b Workshop
Session 1 – Group 1
03-August-2015
7 am to 11 am
4 hours 0
CyberL@b Workshop
Session 2 – Group 2
04-August-2015
7 am to 11 am
4 hours 0
Hot Potatoes Workshop
Session 1 – Group 1
05-August-2015
7 am to 11 am
4 hours 0
Hot Potatoes Workshop
Session 2 – Group 2
06-August-2015
7 am to 11 am
4 hours 0
JClic Workshop
Session 1 – Group 1
07-August-2015
7 am to 11 am
4 hours 0
JClic Workshop
Session 2 – Group 2
10-August-2015
7 am to 11 am
4 hours 0
Source: Alvarado, Jennifer. 2015

27. THANKS!