ABSTRACT

There are no two opinions about English being the language of

dominance for the current wave of globalization. By the same token, the World

Wide Web has emerged as the principal technology that has made global

education viable as well as made virtual Universities possible. It constitutes

an incredible resource to teach English by adapting online materials.

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) with pedagogical applications

has helped us to understand the nature of the language. It is the responsibility

of the teacher to make the class interesting and activity oriented. The paper

analyses how the English language teaching methods are rapidly shifting from

traditional methods to the trend-setting methods using computer applications

and multimedia environments. It explores how teachers can integrate

language with technology and channelize students’ interest in developing

creativity. It then proceeds to expose them to the methods of self-learning that

will help them in improving their language throughout their lifetime.

Key Words: Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Internet,

LSRW: the four cardinal skills of language learning, namely listening,

speaking, reading and writing.

Introduction

Over the past few years, the Internet has emerged as a prominently

new technology. The influence of such a powerful technological tool has

pervaded all aspects of the educational, business, and economic sectors of our

world. In addition to the communicative benefits of the Internet, the Internet

can also be used to retrieve and access information. The World Wide Web is

therefore a virtual library at one's finger tips. It is a readily available world of

information for the language learner. While the Internet offers numerous

benefits to the language learner, a few such possibilities are examined here, in

the context of language learning. The web allows the incorporation of

animation and pictures, sound into lessons which extends our abilities to

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present materials that encourage student interaction with subject matter. In

order to effectively train and prepare learners for appropriate use of the

language, innovative and interesting methods need to be adopted at this initial

level. An innovative classroom is the computerized classroom that brings in

new methods of interaction such as the use of online and downloaded content

and instantly marked exercises. These types of activities accompanied by

Power Point presentation helps in enhancing education through technology.

A number of studies have been done concerning how the use of CALL

affects the development of language learners’ four skills, namely listening,

speaking, reading and writing. Most reports point to significant gains in

reading and listening and most CALL programs are geared toward these

receptive skills because of the current state of computer technology. Most

reading and listening software is based on drills (Domingo Noemi 2007-12-

10). However, using current CALL technology, even with its limitations, for

the development of speaking abilities has gained much attention. There has

been some success in using CALL, in particular computer mediated

communication, to help speaking skills closely linked to “communicative

competence” ability to engage in meaningful conversation in the target

language and provide controlled interactive speaking practice outside the

classroom (Ehsani, Farzad, Eva Knodt July1998). Chat has been shown to help

students routinize certain often-used expressions to promote the development

of automatic structure that helps to develop speaking skills. This is true even if

the chat is purely textual. The use of videoconferencing gives not only

immediacy when communication with a real person but also visual cues, such

as facial expressions, making such communication more authentic (Stepp-

Greany, Jonita, January 2002).

However, when it comes to using the computer not as a medium of

communication, with other people, but as something to interact with verbally

in a direct manner, the current computer technology’s limitations are at their

clearest. Right now, there are two fairly successful applications of automatic

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speech recognition (ASR) or speech processing technology where the

computer “understands” the spoken words of the learner. The first is

pronunciation training. Learners read sentences on the screen and the

computer gives feedback as to the accuracy of the utterance, usually in the

form of visual sound waves (Ehsani, Farzad, Eva Knodt, July 1998). The

second is software where the learner speaks commands for the computer to do.

However, speakers in these programs are limited to predetermined texts so that

the computer will “understand” them (Domingo Noemi 2007-12-10).

Listening skills :

In learning English, listening can help improve speaking

considerably. This is because a learner of English can learn to speak English

by imitation. But a lot of people tend to ignore this feature. As a matter of fact,

listening is not as easy as it seems to be. We need to hear various types of

English repeatedly and continuously if we want to communicate properly,

meaningfully and naturally. Listening is potentially one of the most promising

areas in the development of CALL. This is because multimedia software

consists of standard audio and video input. In addition, it involves the use of

text support and hyperlinked glossaries. Listening activities typically involve

presentation followed by comprehension questions some of which include full

or partial dictations. One type of presentation specific to CALL is the

punctuated presentation, in which the flow is interrupted at intervals to ask

questions along the way. This in theory encourages more focused attention and

allows a learner to get a check on understanding early in the activity. Trudy

Wallace, Winifred E. Stariba and Herbert J. Walberg. (2008) contend that

“Listening skills are essential for learning since they enable students to acquire

insights and information and to achieve success in communicating with

others”.

Speaking skills :

In terms of direct practice of speaking, recent developments on the web have

allowed for voice chat sites which make it possible for learners and teachers to

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interact trough the Internet in distance education courses. Asynchronous

speaking practice is possible through www.wimba.com, using Internet voice

mail, or simply attaching sound files to email. Recently, there has also been

interest in having students produce and publish podcasts. Many believe that

putting students in front of a computer in groups of two or more will get them

talking about the computer task and improve speaking fluency, although

research has not always borne this out. Like many other CALL activities, it

depends on the students’ readiness and motivation. For tutorial CALL,

practicing speaking has always been tricky. Auralog’s TellMeMore,

www.auralog.com is an example of a program which allows some limited

conversation that gives something of the experience through the use of speech

recognition software. Most programs simply rely on voice, recording a line

from a dialogue and then comparing it with the native sample. It has been

suggested by many practitioners that using text-based chat supports the

development of speaking skills indirectly due to the synchronous and informal

nature of the chat. The most widely used indirect method for practicing

speaking is to listen to conversational dialogues on disk or the web. For

example, www.focusenglish.com/dialogues/conversation.html,

Reading skills:

Most reading instructions on disk and the web involve the use of

meaningful technologies, such as hypertext glossaries, translations, and notes

on grammar, usage and culture. Electronic books and online texts often are

equipped with hypermedia links to text, data, graphics, audio, or video. As the

students read the text, they are able to click on the links to access definitions

of words, additional information on concepts, illustrations, animations, and

videos, all of which increase their understanding of the material. They also

accelerate reading by offering readers immediate access to the students to rely

on contextual cues to understand new words. Multimedia reading, such as

voice-enhanced-texts and dynamically illustrated materials are found to be

useful especially on CD-ROMs. Various activities, like downloading a

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suitable article from the internet giving it to the learners after deleting some

words to fill in the blanks and jumbling up the paragraphs for the students to

re-order, can be given to arouse their interest in reading. For instance teachers

can give the students a text about a particular celebrity to read. In pairs, they

role-play an interview between a journalist and the celebrity.

Writing skills:

Writing was revolutionized for everyone with word processing and the

addition of spell checkers has been quite helpful. Grammar and style checkers

are much less useful to date and using a thesaurus can be counter productive if

students aren’t trained in their limitations. New technologies comprising

media such as email, blogs, wikis and social networking environments such as

You Tube, My Space and Face Books, encourage student writing by providing

free forums for personal self-expression in a multimedia mode. The Business

English Trainer, one can put in their pocket downloading over 180 MP3 and

video podcast lessons on essential language for meetings, presentations,

telephoning, negotiations, travel, socializing and a lot more. One can make

real progress with their language skills using the detailed study notes and

online activities available to members.

Encouraging self learning techniques:

Language instructors can draw on technology based sessions to

channelize the potential of youngsters towards enriching their language skills.

The instructors can use web based resources for teaching English and include

interactive exercises, such as choosing the correct multiple choice answer,

reading comprehension, gap-filling, listening exercises, word-completion, and

discussion forum. These are some popular tool where student can post

messages which other people can read and reply to. Company websites

relevant to Business English teaching motivate the students to know about the

companies and organizations. The students read and listen carefully, organize

the ideas and enhance their knowledge. If Instructors assign some group

activities, students search for relevant online texts which provide them with in-

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depth knowledge of various concepts. While doing presentations in the

classroom, non-native speakers concentrate on delivering their ideas to a large

group of students, there by learning the art of communication.

As future professionals, the learners have to prepare proposals, reports,

letters, and emails. Language instructors will be able to provide with web

addresses and assign tasks such as group discussion, small presentation on the

emerging fields of science and technology, role play, posting written works on

the proposals, letters, emails etc. More topics using websites on these

concepts, students get a chance to apply their intelligence and understanding

the topics will definitely enrich their learning process. In fact, through such

authentic materials students will become more autonomous. News websites

like BBC or CNN are a great resource for teachers of English where they can

find articles and often audio and video files reporting on the latest news. These

can be easily used in the classroom to focus on language skills.

Implementation of technology:

There is no denying the fact that technology is a boon for language

learners. Though radio and television play a vital role in communication,

computer and Internet have brought a revolution in the ELT classroom.

Language laboratory is a must for developing LSRW skills. In the Language

lab, the individual learner should get a head phone and a teacher’s console.

There will be interaction between students and the teacher through

microphones. Language lab will provide intensive listening and pronunciation

practice. Students may find it easy and comfortable in working with

computers. Like a tutor, computers assess the learner’s reply and point out the

mistakes. The computer promotes the acquisition of linguistic skills and

demands active participation of the students. CALL programs aim at

improving grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension and also writing

skills. These programs are more flexible and convenient than textbooks.

Students can have a different kind of experience with the help of enhanced

voice recognition and multimedia capabilities that go with the computer

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software. There are software packages which will increase critical thinking

and problem solving and this will enrich students’ language proficiency.

Conclusion: Using technology for English language teaching will be

successful only if the teachers understand the ability and the requirement of

the target group of learners. It can be said that the age of technology has

opened new possibilities for language instruction and helped learners to have

access to innovative and interesting ways of learning. The authors hope that

innovations in the ELT classroom will be possible by adopting new teaching

methodologies of which the computer and Internet are part and parcel.

References:

1. Auralog’s Tell Me More, www.auralog.com

2. Domingo Noemi 2007-12-10 “Computer-assisted language learning”

3. Ehsani, Farzad, Eva Knodt (July 1998) “Speech technology in

computer aided language learning: Strengths and limitations of a new

CALL paradigm” Language Learning and Technology 2(1):45-60.

4. Stepp–Greany, Jonita (January2002) “Students perceptions on

language learning in a technological environment: Implications for the

new millennium”. Language Learning and Technology

5. Trudy, Wallace, Winifred E. Stariba and Herbert J. Walberg (2008)

Teaching, speaking, listening and Writing. International Academy of

Education www.ibe.unesco.org/publication/.../practice-14.pdf.

6. www.focusenglish.com/dialogues/conversation.html ,

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