O n f e r e n c e

Methodological problems and challenges 
We decided to test the toolbar by having intermediate learners of German practice the 
subjunctive II as this is a complex grammatical form in German that is acquired at the 
beginning of second-year German. 
In order to measure the learner’s progress, the 
toolbar has a tracking function to determine what html texts a participant used. In 
addition, a series of pre/post-tests were carried out. 

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-310- 
2014 CALL Conference 
LINGUAPOLIS
www.antwerpcall.be 
In general, carrying out a study in an online environment it is difficult to control all the 
factors that might influence the outcome. The idea behind the toolbar is that learners can 
work on their own choosing any html text they like in order to practice as much as 
possible. Each participant will therefore encounter a different number of complex 
grammatical forms. While individual gains of learners can be measured, it does make it 
difficult to compare groups of learners which is necessary to have quantifiable results in 
regards to the pre/post-tests. While every participant carries out the same pre/post-test, 
the intervention, that is, using the toolbar to practice the subjunctive II, is different for 
every participant. In order to change that, participants can be given pre-selected texts to 
ensure they all encounter the same number and type of complex grammatical forms in 
the same texts. However, this takes away from the concept of intrinsic motivation which 
is part of the design of the toolbar.
In the present study learners of German engaged in dialogues with native speakers. All 
learners had access to the same posts of the native speakers. However, some learners 
were more engaged than others and no one had the time to go through all the posts. 
Consequently, some learners encountered more subjunctive II forms than others. The 
results of the pre/post-test have to be looked at in this context.
On a positive note, we did not have any problems with participants engaging in the 
dialogues from start to finish. In a short questionnaire they expressed that they enjoyed 
using the toolbar. We also did not have any technical issues. The toolbar itself as well as 
the server worked smoothly.
The next challenge will be to determine which of the four task-types of the toolbar - 
highlight, identify, multiple choice, fill-in-the blanks 
–
when practicing complex 
grammatical forms are most effective.