This document provides an overview of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). It discusses the objectives and assumptions of a CALL course, including providing students opportunities to explore online resources. It also outlines the benefits and limitations of CALL, such as increased learner autonomy but also potential anti-social behavior. Key factors for CALL success are identified, such as appropriate resources, training for teachers and students, and an emphasis on interactivity.

1. Computer-
Assisted
Language
Learning
(C.A.L.L.)
MSc. Sarita Orellana
Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte
October 15-19, 2018

2. 1. Assumptions and Objectives.

3. Assumptions
Participants of this course should have the
following:
• An active e-mail account
provided by the university.
• Basic computer skills:
(keyboarding, email, basic Web
browsing).

4. Objectives
What are our expectations of this course?

5. Objectives
Provide students the
opportunity to explore a set
of on-line resources in a
variety of content areas
which can be integrated into
classroom teaching.

6. Objectives
Explore ways to find additional on-line
resources to be used in the classroom
and to tailor those resources to fit the
instructional needs of your students.

7. Objectives
Create materials and develop
activities, specifically tailored
to individual teaching
situations, for immediate use
in the classroom.

8. Class Rules
1. Come to class on time. If you arrive to the classroom after
the role is taken it will be considered tardy. Three delays
will be considered 1 absence.
2. Do not eat in class.
3. Mobile phones or any other tech devices are not allowed
in class, unless the teacher requires their use.
4. Bring required materials every day, and come to class
prepared.
5. Late assignments will not be accepted. You cannot be
absent and send your assignments with other student.
6. Be respectful. Use polite speech and body language.
7. Do not disrupt the class.
8. Do not cheat. Students caught cheating will receive a zero.
Both the student who shares his work for an independent
assignment and the person who copies it will suffer the
same consequences.

10. Grading System
• Term 1:
– Aporte 1
– Aporte 2
– Aporte 3
– Mid-term
examination
• Term 2:
– Aporte 1
– Aporte 2
– Aporte 3:
project.
– Final examination
Grades will be determined as
follows:
• Quizzes
• Homework
• Individual class work
• Pair group class work
• Group class work

11. 1.1 WHAT IS CALL?

12. Look at this cloud, and write you own
concept for CALL.

15. Group work
• Discuss the concept of CALL in group, and
create an artistic representation.
• Select a partner to present your work to
the class.

16. CALL Related Acronyms
The main difference between the acronyms is the focus
given to the computer as part of the language learning
process.

17. Homework
Go to the internet and find the meaning of
each CALL related acronym.
Write your findings in a Word document,
include the sources where you found the
information.
Send it to the email: sorellanab@ulvr.edu.ec

22. CALL
What computers can / can’t do
Copyright 2007 PresentationFx.com | Image by Rodolfo Clix
Computers CAN Computer CAN’T
Judge predetermined right-or-wrong
answers, e.g., multiple choice and fill-in-
the-blanks
Judge unexpected input
Provide immediate, yet fixed, feedback,
suggestions, and encouragement
Provide individualized feedback beyond a
predetermined list of messages
Provide authentic information through
multimedia - texts, images, sounds,
videos, and animations
Engage learner in rich negotiation of
meaning characteristic of face-to-face
interaction
Motivate task persistence
•Record learner’s writing, speech, and
learning progress
Motivate depth and quality of engagement
characteristic of human interaction

23. CALL
Copyright 2007 PresentationFx.com | Image by Rodolfo Clix
• Computer technology has to be treated as
an aid, but not a panacea.
• The effectiveness of CALL cannot reside
in the technology itself but in how it is put
to use and for what purposes.

24. CALL
Roles of the Computer in language
learning and teaching:
- computer as tutor for language drills or
skill practice
- computer as a tool for writing,
presenting, and researching
- computer as a medium of global
communication

25. Group work
Work in groups of three and suggest a
detailed classroom situation per each of
the roles of CALL in language learning.

26. CALL
How Computers can be used in the
Language Class
1) Teaching with one computer in the class
- delivery of content (PowerPoint, word-
processor, Webpages, etc.)
- classroom activities/discussions mediated by
the computer
- Interactive whiteboard.

27. CALL
2) Teaching in the computer network room
(network-based language teaching)
- task-based group work /activities
- computer-mediated communication (CMC):
asynchronous/synchronous
- tandem learning

28. CALL
3) Self-access learning (independent learning)
- drills and exercises
- word processing
- resource searching

29. CALL
4) Distance learning (i.e. individual learners
working by themselves, at a place and time of
their choice and, to some extent, at a pace and
in an order also chosen by themselves.)
- delivering online course content
- CMC activities: email, discussion forum, chat
rooms
- community building (social networks)

30. Individual work
• Choose a grammar topic and make a lesson
plan including technology.
• Select a simple format for the plan.
• Be sure to set the class objective
appropriately and to include all the phases of
a class.

31. CALL
Principles of Using and Designing CALL Programs in
Language Learning and Teaching
- student/learner-centeredness (to promote learner
autonomy)
- meaningful purpose
- comprehensive input
- sufficient level of stimulation (cognitively and affectively)
- multiple modalities (to support various learning styles and
strategies)
- high level of interaction (human-machine and human-
human)

32. CALL Materials
CALL materials share many of the characteristics
of non-CALL material (Levy, 1997). Materials can
either be:
• Authentic,
• Produced locally or
• commercially.
CALL enables the integration of sound and video
into courseware materials. It adds a dynamic
dimension that is impossible with a book.

33. Benefits
1. Learner autonomy.
– They can work at their own pace.
– They can spend more time on those topics
that are causing difficulty.
– Information can be reviewed and tasks can
be repeated until the learner is happy to
move on to a new topic.

34. Benefits
2. Privacy
Many learners are shy in a traditional classroom
setting, not participating for fear of making
mistakes.
The computer offers a forum where learners
can lose their self-consciousness. The
computer will not expose them when they make
any mistakes (although the errors may be
stored for review).

35. Benefits
3. Feedback
The provision of immediate feedback is
beneficial for the learner (Neri, et al., 2001).
Again, in the traditional classroom setting, it
may not be possible to provide immediate
feedback to each individual learner.
However, the computer can give feedback at
the touch of a button. Thus, learners can test
their knowledge and learn from their mistakes.
CALL programs

36. Benefits
4. Motivation
Oxford (1996a) identifies stimulation and setting
a personal challenge as factors that increase
motivation.
CALL generally increases students’ levels of
motivation.
Anything that increases motivation will be
helpful to the learning process.

37. Benefits
5. Access to information
A CALL program has the potential to provide
more information to the learner (via links to
electronic dictionaries, more detailed screens
and links to other sites) (Egbert and Hanson-
Smith, 1999).
Conversely, learners can avoid information
overload if they feel they are being
overwhelmed. They can leave a program to give
themselves time to absorb the new knowledge.

38. Limitations
1. Limited availability of resources
In many learning institutions, the availability of
CALL resources is limited.
Limited resources include time and money for
development of CALL materials (Levy, 1997),
finance to purchase computers and lack of
teacher knowledge.

39. Limitations
2. Anti-social behavior
Learners may get “wrapped-up” in the program
and focus on learning the language in isolation.
The main reason for learning a language is to
be able to communicate with others. The
computer cannot force learners to speak with
other speakers of the language.

40. Limitations
3. Learning content
Sometimes misleading, oversimplified
explanations are provided:
• It wastes students’ time.
• It confuses them.
• It will not meet their learning needs.
Care must be taken to ensure that this is
avoided in the design process.

41. Limitations
4. Limitations in the deployment of CALL
materials
• slow access,
• server complications,
• end-user configuration unknown,
• potential need for plug-ins,
• technophobic students/teachers.

42. Group work
In groups of three, discuss the benefits and
limitations of CALL in language learning.
Then, add at least 3 more benefits and
limitations.

43. CALL success factors
Needs:
• appropriate expertise, hardware, software,
administrative and technical support (Felix,
1998),
• consideration to methodology and all the other
elements applied in a non-CALL situation,
• teacher training (McCarthy, 1999) (teachers are
often more technophobic than their students),
• student training (keyboard skills, navigation
skills and general IT awareness (McCarthy,
1999).

44. CALL success factors
Things not to do:
• do not assume that students are excited by
CALL (McCarthy, 1999),
• do not underestimate the confusion and
disorientation that may be experienced by
novices,
• do not create unstructured materials (assuming
that the students will “figure it out”),
• do not just reproduce what could be in a book
(Felix, 1999).

45. CALL success factors
Things to do:
• do place emphasis on interactive strategies for
feedback and teaching (Felix, 1998),
• (for tutors) do include friendly discourse,
different activities, cultural information, exercises
with feedback, interactive exercises and links
(Felix, 1998),
• do provide good front pages (Felix, 1998),
• do promote self-regulated learning (Zhao et al.,
2000),
• do be responsive to learner’s needs, capabilities
and interests (Zhao et al., 2000).