The CALL and the Net

In education environments, CALL (Computer-assisted Language Learning) has been utilized for language teaching since 60s, within different pedagogical approaches (Warschauer & Healey, 1998) and its correspondent development throughout the years. CALL is usually identify as CMC (Computer-mediated Communication) which allows learners to communicate with other learners (or native speakers, instructors, etc.) in the target language, as long as they are connected to the Internet and have the appropriate technology tools for communication (e.g., computer, micro, special software, etc.). CMC tool is often divided in ACMC (Asynchronous Computer-mediated Communication) and SCMC (Synchronous Computer-mediated Communication). The most popular ACMC tools are email and fora, which permit participants to compose messages whenever they wish. The most frequent tools in SCMC are chats or MOOs which allow participants to have a simultaneous conversation (written/oral) in real time regardless where they are located. CMC allows one-to-one communication and also one-to-many communication. (Kern & Warschaueecr, 2000). In the 90s, the use of SCMC, usually referred to as chats, was in an exploratory stage. Recently, many studies in CMC have been adopted the interactionist approach in Second Language Acquisition (Thorne & Payne, 2005). Many interactionist SLA studies focus on the importance of negotiation of meaning, focus on form, task based learning, and collaborative learning being very useful in online distance education (Blake, 2005).

In recent times, educators, researchers, companies, people in general have shown a great interest in the uses of computers for language teaching and learning. (Warschauer & Healey, 1998). Not long ago, the special uses of computers were restricted to certain people because programs were not easy to use and understand. Nowadays, programs are user-friendly and these programs are open to the mass, consequently more people may be able to use (and maybe go beyond) these new available technology tools. Therefore, the role of computers when learning a language has now become an important issue for educators and professionals (Warschauer & Healey, 1998).

The combination of CALL and Internet has reinvented the way in which computers are used for learning foreign languages. Internet-mediated communication has driven the use of new technological tools in educational settings such as Wikis, blogs, and podcasts, among others, and professionals are taking advantage of these new emerging educational tools.

References

• Thorne, S. L., & Payne, J. S. (2005). Evolutionary Trajectories, Internet-mediated Expression, and Language Education. The CALICO Journal, 22/3: 371-397.

• Warschauer, Mark & Healey, Deborah (1998). Computers and language learning: An overview. Language Teaching, 31, 57-71.

• Blake, Robert (2005). Bimodal CMC: The glue of language learning at a distance. CALICO Journal, 22(3): 497-511.

• Kern, Richard & Warschauer, Mark (2000). Theory and practice of network-based language teaching. In M. Warschauer & R. Kern (Eds.), Network-based language teaching: Concepts and practice. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.