CALL

Since the appearance of computers, technology has been considered an important tool in the field of language learning, but there was not a clear idea of how these machines could help in teaching pedagogy. Even after the born of the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), the community language was just paying attention to technology more than pedagogy. It was not until some years later, in the late 80s that CALL became a language methodology tool (Bangs & Cantos, 2004). This brings us to the query of what is CALL and how it has been used. In this paper, a brief history is going to be addressed as well as some implications for the effective use of CALL.

CALL as its name indicates, is an interactive approach to language teaching and learning in which the computer is the main aid for providing the content to be learned and assessed (Graham, n.d). It was born in the 1960s and since its origin; it has been evolving great over the years. With the arrival of the personal computer in 1970, the range of audience was widened and the programs were extended. However, in the decade of the 70s and early 80s, these programs became dull and lacking of imagination, but through the appearance of new technologies, CALL has established as an important area in education (Graham, n.d). Within this history we can distinguish different versions of call:

• Traditional CALL: it presented a stimulus in the form of text to which the student had to response by entering an answer at the keyboard.
• Explorative CALL: it was characterized by the use of drill and concordances.
• Multimedia CALL: it included sounds, images and video recordings in imaginative presentations.
• Web-based CALL: it combined the web advances including audio and video conferences in tandem with web activities.

It may be also necessary to include some assertions that Bangs and Cantos (2004) make in regard to the place of CALL in the language environment:

1. CALL is not an issue separate from other language teaching and learning

2. CALL should put the learner at the centre of the process

3. CALL exists for learners, not teachers

4. CALL should be adaptive

5. CALL should harness technology, not serve it

6. CALL should engage and motivate the learner

7. CALL should respond to research

8. CALL should be focussed

9. CALL should respond to a perceived need

10. CALL should help learners learn better

To conclude, it can be said that CALL is truly a useful tool for language learning; however, the balanced that must exist between technology and pedagogy is in great danger again. Does this mean that we are stepping backwards once again? Thus the moral of this story is straightforward: technology on its own is not the panacea for foreign language pedagogy. Efficient foreign language technology is only possible if it is grounded on sound theoretical foreign language pedagogy (Bangs & Cantos, 2004).

Bangs, P. & Cantos, P. (2004). What can Computer Assisted Language Learning Contribute to Foreign Language Pedagogy? [Online paper]. Retrieved April 30, 2012 from the World Wide Web: http://www.um.es/ijes/vol4n1/11-Bangs%20&%20Cantos.pdf

Graham, D. (n.d). Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). [Online paper]. Retrieved April 30, 2012 from the World Wide Web: http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/61