Advantages & Disadvantages of CALL
By Izaham Shah Ismail
http://tsl641.blogspot.com/2008/07/advantages-disadvantages-of-call.html
CALL – Pros / Advantages
Experiential learning
The "learn-by-doing" approach allows youth to experience something with
minimal guidance from an adult.
Instead of being told "the answers," they are presented with a question, problem,
situation, or activity which they must make sense of for themselves.
Learning by doing is called "experiential learning" because it is based on
learning from experiences.
Example: Search the web to find information on the Beijing Olympics
WWW allows tackling large amount of human experience
Learn by doing things themselves
Independence from a Single Source of Information
Escape from canned knowledge
E.g. referring only to 1 or 2 textbooks
Opportunity to discover thousands of information sources
There are probably billions of web pages nowadays
As a result : Education fulfils the need for interdisciplinary learning in a
multicultural world
Global Understanding
A foreign language is studied in a cultural context
E.g. ESL is studied in the context of English language speaking culture ( US,
UK, Australia, New Zealand etc)
Internet allows access to the learning of the culture
Internet facilitates access to this culture
Internet makes students feel citizens of the world since English is an
International language
Students get to publish on the Internet for the rest of the world to see / read
The computer environment, especially when combined with hypermedia is a rich
one which allows the user to enter new worlds and travels new territory (SL –
language and culture).
Through creating and receiving knowledge
Thinking skills are developed and have choice of what to explore
Motivation
Computer popular with students
Fun and games, fashionable
Increased in motivation
Variety of activities – making them more independent
Novelty of working with the computer – a new experience compared to the old
traditional chalk and talk, pen and paper
Diversity and sophistication.
Students can take risks and experiment in a way that might be psychologically
threatening in a classroom or real-life communication situation.
In a networked environment, the anonymity and ease of communication seem to
encourage a spontaneous and casual “speak-writing” that results in more creative
and natural language than in some other environments.
Reduce learning stresses and anxieties
Enhanced Student Achievement
Networked-based instructions
Strengthen linguistic skills by positively affecting learning attitude
Build self-instruction strategies
Through interactive activities
Computer work may be effective for remedial or tutorial works (branching
programs).
Andrews (1973) found that students who scored low on the pretest showed
greatest gain.
Students in large classes find that CALL is a way of getting individual attention.
Computers can capture, analyze and present data on SL student’s performances
during the learning process
The computer allows learning to take place independent of time and space.
Students can learn at their own pace (review, skip, etc.).
Students can learn at their own schedule due to computer flexibility of time.
Authentic Materials for Study
Various resources for authentic reading materials – school and at home
Accessible 24/7 and low cost
Social effect (the dialogue that occurs in front of the screen rather than on it).
Collaboration (networking promotes language learning by putting learners in
touch with other learners and a multitude of other resources (Internet)).
Via e-mail, chat, blog, website creation
A tendency to band together to try to “beat the machine” (fun and competition in
games or simulations).
Greater Interaction
Non-linear instruction through random access to Web pages
Via E-mail, newsgroups, weblog, YM etc, EFL students can communicate with
people they have never met
Interact with classmates
Internet activities give positive and negative feedback – correcting their
exercises
Students can received individualized feedback – via e-mail, weblog
Individualization
Shy or inhibited students
Individualized, student-centered collaborative learning
They get to do things themselves
They get to work at their own pace
At the same time getting feedback from peers
High achievers can realize their full potential
Will not prevent their peers from working at their own pace
Equal opportunities to participate in discussions via chat, blog, all students can
equal chance to participate
Unlike face-to-face, discussions may be dominated by out-spoken students
From the point of view of the teacher, the computer presents versatile in-handling
different kinds of material.
One-way presentation of information (text, graphics, audio, video).
Two-way (question-answer routines, simulated dialogues, hypothesis testing).
The computer can present material (supplied by the teacher) in sequence or at
random.
Computers can model the cognitive and physical processes required for linguistics
perception and production (i.e. visual modeling of speech characteristics, thought
processing programs (simultaneous writing programs), and reading comprehension
programs).
Computers assist in the construction and elaboration of the SL grammar.
Example:
http://international.ouc.bc.ca/pronunciation/
http://www.essaypunch.com/
CALL – Con / Disadvantages
Quality of the software
—Quality of software can be questionable
—Especially when produced by companies that do not employ or consult experts
(teachers, instructional designers etc.)
Failure of computer users to make full use of the software
— It is not the software, it is what you do with it.
— The software might simplify the representation of the content and the structure of the
task performed to such a degree as to be highly misleading (i.e. grammar checker
programs).
Development of CALL programs requires knowledge in pedagogy, target language
and computing.
—Possible solutions:
—Computer and language experts work together.
— Learn a programming and/or authoring language (i.e. HyperCard, Toolbook).
Cost
—Standford, successful Russian program had to be scrapped after it was found that the
course was costing 3x as much as a traditional course. (Nelson et. al., 1976)
—Unfair educational conditions
—When it becomes a basic requirement for students to purchase
—Unaffordable for low-budget schools and low-income children
—Digital Divide
Teachers and learners should have basic technology knowledge
—Before incorporating CALL
—However, most teachers do not have sufficient knowledge in technology to guide
students exploring the computer and CALL programs
Skepticism.
—Language teachers might regard technology with a mixture of anxiety and
mystification, accompanied by the conviction that somehow machines do not belong in
the humanities.
—Vague suspicion that the computer is intended to replace teachers (however, instead
the computer should free up time for us to do what only language teachers can do).
Computers are rigid and inhuman.
—This might depend on who programs them
—Learning via computer alone may lack non-verbal cues
—No facial expressions, gestures
—Jokes, anecdotes that will help remember a learning point
—Computers cannot handle unexpected situations.
—Limitations in AI:
—Cannot deal with learners’ learning problems
—Cannot response to students’ questions immediately
Exercises and activities are still limited.
— It is an essential characteristic of language that it is primarily a spoken medium
which is, to some extent, problematic for the computer.
— Its ability to deal with speech is far less developed than its ability to deal with written
signals, spoken dialogue, open-ended dialogue, translation (anything which requires
understanding on part of the computer still presents problems).
—The computer can encourage a form of “antisocial” behavior that amounts to working
in isolation from others.
NOTE
—Whether we want to get into it or not, CALL will not go away.
—Computerized language lab will be built, software will be produced anyway, and not
necessarily in a way that will be useful to us or our students.
—But, this is an opportunity, a chance to improve language teaching, raise the
proficiency level of our students (and not incidentally, attract more students).
Posted by Izaham Shah Ismail at 3:42 PM
Labels: Lecture
