Computer-Assisted Language Learning (call) research Contents Introduction

1.2.Student’s perceptions and implementation of computer assisted language learning

Today, there remains little doubt that new technologies enable new pedagogies and can help reshape social contexts, dramatically altering the ecology of the society and, it follows, education, as well. However, there are differences of opinion as to whether the new technologies are themselves the original cause of such changes, or merely their extension. Many have compared the advent of computers and the Internet to the arrival of the printing press (Kramsch et al., 2000; Murray, 2000; Richards, 2000; Warschauer, 2004). Frequent reference is made to the cultural (r)evolution of 15th century Europe, with sometimes heated discussions ensuing as to the role of technology in shaping such events. Murray (2000), for example, argues against technological determinism in a special issue of Language Learning and Technology devoted to literacies and technologies: Computer technology is not an autonomous technology that in and of itself will change the way we think, create greater democracy, or concentrate wealth and power among a privileged élite. Rather, the real tension lies in who will steer this revolution. The computer revolution will be what we make of it. (p. 44, emphasis in original) In rejecting the inevitability of technology, she goes so far as to say, “Because traditionally our education has depended mightily on the printed word, many educators have been easily seduced into believing that the future of education must entail computer literacy.” In the same volume of Language Learning and Technology, however, Kramsch et al. (2000) argue, “Throughout the history of technological discoveries, we have been shaped by our artifacts as much as we have shaped them.” Following Latour (cited in Kramsch et al., 2000), they claim: The physical characteristics of computer hardware, rather than being separate from the software and from us, its users, in fact define our actions, that is, our existence. In particular, they bring about fundamental changes in the way we use language and other semiotic systems to represent ourselves to ourselves and to others, and in the way we represent the world. (p. 83) Kramsch et al. are obviously attributing much more power to technology than Murray (2000) would concur with; this is made abundantly clear in the closing sentence of their article, where they claim, “The use of computers in multimedia environments (including electronic communication) is slowly but surely transforming our conceptions of foreign language learning by changing the very notions of who we are and how we represent ourselves through language” (Kramsch et al., p. 99, emphasis added). Our understanding of the scope and depth of the influence of technology has a clear influence on our definition of technological literacy and, it follows, our conception of CALL. Feenberg (2006, p. 10) summarizes the different existing views on technology in the following table

On the other hand, the more recent sociocultural approach to SLA draws heavily on Vygotsky and Bakhtin, especially the former, and sees language learning as an “interpersonal process situated in a social and cultural context and mediated by it”. As Zeungler and Miller (2006, pp. 37-8) point out, those who subscribe to a sociocultural paradigm “focus not on language as input, but as a resource for participation in the kinds of activities our everyday lives comprise. Participation in these activities is both the product and the process of learning.” Some examples of the popular jargon of sociocultural SLA are: Zone of proximal development (ZPD), scaffolding, mediation, identities, interculturalism, affordances, community of practice, participatory learning, situated learning theory, co-construction, ecology, dialogism, critical theory, discursive practices, activity theory, private speech, peer response, collaboration, networking, etc. Similarly, many technology tools which are advocated as being compatible with one of the above approaches are equally hailed by those in favor of the competing approach to SLA. On the other hand, however, it is a fact that many of the more recent web tools have been created for the very purposes of online collaboration and social networking, and are therefore very easily applied in a learning environment utilizing a sociocultural approach, (even though this does not hinder them from being equally applicable to classes with a cognitive approach). The article presents a general overview of the teaching and learning of foreign languages through multimedia and computer technology. Since its introduction, this practice has undergone significant changes in the content, approaches and methods of implementation on its development path. It has gone through several stages, which were determined by the level of computerization, the development of technologies in the field of communication and the emergence of new software products. This provision, in turn, has enabled the development of a significant number of types and kynds of tasks. The variety of these exercises and their functional capabilities is increasing along with the development of computer technology. At the present stage, practitioners working in the field of teaching foreign languages with the help of multimedia and computer technologies, are facing a number of tasks. They were developed as a result of a study commissioned by the educational unit of the European Union and formulated in a number of documents published in the early 2000s. As a result, task forces were established to develop recommendations and training programs at different regional levels and stages of teaching. The creation of relevant Internet sites has enabled specialists to become aware of the ongoing innovation processes. This experience should be studied and adopted by domestic specialists. The article presents a general overview of the teaching and learning of foreign languages through multimedia and computer technology. Since its introduction, this practice has undergone significant changes in the content, approaches and methods of implementation on its development path. It has gone through several stages, which were determined by the level of computerization, the development of technologies in the field of communication and the emergence of new software products. This provision, in turn, has enabled the development of a significant number of types and kynds of tasks. The variety of these exercises and their functional capabilities is increasing along with the development of computer technology. At the present stage, practitioners working in the field of teaching foreign languages with the help of multimedia and computer technologies, are facing a number of tasks. They were developed as a result of a study commissioned by the educational unit of the European Union and formulated in a number of documents published in the early 2000s. As a result, task forces were established to develop recommendations and training programs at different regional levels and stages of teaching. The creation of relevant Internet sites has enabled specialists to become aware of the ongoing innovation processes. This experience should be studied and adopted by domestic specialists. Computer-mediated communication has been around in one form or another since the 1960’s but only became widely available to the general public since the early 199’s. CMC comes in two forms: asynchronous (such as email and forums) and synchronous (such as text and voice chat). With these, learners can communicate in the target language with other real speakers cheaply, 24 hours a day. Learners can communicate one-on-one or one to many as well as share audio and video files. Because of all this, CMC has had the most impact on language teaching. 

Internet applications which combine interaction with another computer as well as another person or people both derived fro- role playing games (RPGs), which are activities where participants become part of a story where they work together and/or work against each other. RPGs were originally played on paper with pencils and dice but since the 1990s nearly all RPGs have been computer-based, with the computer acting as a player and/or referee. RPG scenarios can be as simple as Crimson Room’s goal of escaping from a locked room, but more often the scenario is a quest or journey, where players become a fantasy character and must use their skills to obtain treasure and experience. Some popular online RPGs iclude: Fairyland. In chat rooms, the purpose is basically just to talk, so u,sually all participants see is a blank screen with words on it. RPG programs, however, participants appear on the screen (usually as simple animated figures) and interact with landscapes and objects as well as text they, the computer or other participants wrote. Participation in an RPG mimics many real-world communicative situations, such as buying and selling as well as a few not-so-real ones such as casting spells. While most RPG’s online nowadays simulate the video game experience, RPG’s first went online in the forms of MUDs (Muli-user Dungeons) and MOOs (Multi-user Dungeon, Object-oriented). MUDs are purely textual environments, forcing the participant to imagine the visual components and MOOs have some visual elements, however very simple and not animated. MOOs have been converted in toeducation into vthe irtual classroom and office space where teachers and students can interact one-on-one or all together as a class in real -ime.