Electronic Education: Using CALL: What's the Pay Off?

"Why would anyone want to use a computer to learn a language?" A fair question, given that computers still can't communicate very well. I hear it less often than I used to. But questions about the value of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) still come up, and they are as likely to come from language instructors as from those outside our profession. We're intuitively wary at the prospect of involving computers in what we do. The conventional wisdom is to ascribe our reluctance to use computers to "technophobia" or "lack of training." But the fundamental concern may be the limited capacity of computers for real communication, and this concern is a valid one.

I have been compiling a list of "reasons to use CALL" for the past 17 years. In offering some of them here, I acknowledge that many of these points have not been substantiated by research and that not every point will be relevant in every teaching situation.

Why use CALL? Motivation:
The shift to the computer lab may provide a change of pace, and some students may work more eagerly on a computer than in other settings. However, I believe that the "motivation" factor may have been more significant in the past when computers were a novelty. Hollywood will always be ahead of education in terms of its ability to produce sophisticated multimedia, and today's students may not be impressed with the relatively low level of sophistication of most CALL software. To justify the expense and effort involved in using computers, I think we need to look for more compelling reasons than any motivation that is provided by the medium itself.
Individualization of learning: Students can work at their own pace. Those who learn more slowly can use CALL materials for remediation while others can use them to accelerate learning. CALL lessons with branching capability allow each student to work on specific sections; not everyone has to lockstep into the same exercise.
Control over language input: In well-designed CALL software, the target language can be presented in manageable segments. The language can remain natural and at normal speed since digital audio and video clips can easily be played as often as necessary. Text can be associated with each segment and displayed or hidden according to the needs of the learner.

Immediate feedback: Almost instantaneous feedback can save learners hours of misguided work. Even the most unintelligent "no, you're wrong" type of feedback can alert students that they are on the wrong track.
Visual focus: Students often get lost in a sea of small print crowded onto a page. On a computer screen we have the luxury of enlarging text and presenting only a few words at one time. We can have thousands of screens, which can be designed to enlarge or highlight exactly what we want to emphasize.

Tireless repetition: Computers are superb at handling repetitive tasks. They can present the same material again and again at times when their human instructors are not available. Repetition plays an important role in reinforcing learning.
"Neutral" medium: The computer's performance is consistent. It never loses patience with students, never gets angry, and never plays favorites. Language learners continually create mental hypotheses about how the target language works. The computer can provide a safe environment in which to test linguistic hypotheses.

Advantages of hypertext: On a computer, text can be linked in a non-linear fashion to explanatory text, to sound, to images, and to video. This capability can provide learners with links to extend and enhance their understanding of the new language. By choosing which paths to explore, readers can create their own meaning and organization.
Writing and revision facilitated by word processing: Students tend to write more and revise more when they word-process their texts, and they take more pride in the finished product.

Opportunities for collaboration: As students work with games and puzzles, information gaps give students a need to communicate with one another.

Tool in constructing meaning: In the constructivist approach to language learning, students create their own meaning by producing newsletters, web pages, and multimedia presentations.

Link to the Internet: The net can provide a source of authentic, up-to-the-minute information in the target language with opportunities for real communication with native speakers.
Computer literacy: Many students will need computer skills to survive in the job market or in academia, and using them in their classes can give them a head start.

Second language acquisition (SLA) research: Computers can keep track of what students do as they work through CALL materials and provide useful insights into the language learning process.
Change in relationship between teachers and students: The teacher becomes the facilitator and partner in learning rather than the controlling "schoolmaster."

Clearly, much more research is needed to confirm how well these promises can be met. Not all CALL software is designed to use these capabilities to the best advantage. Extravagant claims may well be followed by disillusionment, and additional questions are inevitably raised. What will the students actually do with CALL software? Will they make full use of its features, or will they waste time? Will too much classroom time be taken up by coping with the technology itself?

In our enthusiasm for CALL, let's be realistic about what the computer really can do well and what it does clumsily or not at all. Then we must decide for ourselves which aspects of CALL will work in our own situations.