Few learning centers exist without some level of digital services. On the most basic level, this may be a low-end computer with a printer for word processing. On a more advanced level, there may be dozens of high-end networked computers connected to the Internet. Dartmouth College's Language Lab has gone through various transformations. Until…

The use of technology in the language classroom is chronicled from early phonograph use through the emergence of the language laboratory, and computer technology. The role of appropriate materials and the importance of interaction and communication, even with technological aids, are stressed. (21 references) (Author/MSE)

The conventional language lab, though it motivates few students, lingers on at many institutions. While poor study habits contribute to the lab's low impact on language acquisition, an equally credible possibility is that the traditional language lab's "audio-only" technology is ill-suited to the primary cognitive styles of today's video-oriented…

This presentation attempts to describe the current situation of French language instruction in the United States. As far as materials are concerned, there is a general tendency to emphasize communicative skills. Less attention is paid to literature, and more to the day-to-day activities of young French or Canadian people. Textbooks are generally…

Compares past methods of teaching languages with the current emphasis on teaching oral/aural skills. The use of technology is then discussed, in particular the language laboratory, the videotape recorder, the videodisk, and the computer. Suggestions are offered on how to adapt each for educational purposes. (23 references) (CFM)

Examines the benefits of language laboratories for learning Japanese. After reviewing related literature and selected issues on educational technology, the article presents results from a survey of Australian college students using a language laboratory. Overall, students appreciated and were positive about the language laboratory, though some had…

Educators are now realizing, due to recent technological advances in the cassette tape field, that they can have a complete and educationally sound lab system that will adapt to nearly any independent study situation without having to spend large sums of money. Under budgetary constraints and the desire to provide for a learning lab with the…

A survey was carried out at the University of Nancy to determine how many students visited the tape library and how often, in one academic year. The academic year investigated was 1973-1974. One hundred eight students visited the lab the first trimester, 45 the second, and 14 the third. In general it was found that the more advanced the students'…

The operational characteristics of a modern equipment facility (random-access multiple-program system) being planned and constructed for the University of Michigan language laboratory and how it compares with the system it is to replace are summarized in this article. A technical description of the structural makeup of the system precedes an…

The Language Laboratory Teaching Machine (LLTM), as it is conceived to function at a typical high school, serves as an independent teaching facility having a wide variety of applications. Description of the different mechanical and electronic components accompanies discussion of student involvement. Distinctions between the "audio" teaching…

The handbook presents a variety of second language teaching techniques, some old and some new, for use with technological equipment. Each chapter focuses on a specific piece of equipment or technology, or in some cases, two technologies that share some characteristics and can be used similarly. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the…

This article discusses universal advantages and disadvantages of various audio systems which may be used for language learning. In order to encourage teachers and administrators to experiment with simpler systems than the conventional language laboratory, a list of several low-cost alternatives is given. The list gives the producer's name, a…

The recent tendency in language instruction is toward the functional approach which shifts focus away from structure and internal semantics toward communicative competence and the external uses to which language is put. The implications of this trend for methodology, materials production, educational technology, and in particular for the language…

The basic mechanical functions of the foreign language laboratory described in this report enable utilization of authentic target language, linguistically effective learning devices, visuals, and facilities for monitoring and testing. Brief descriptions of 11 laboratory functions include: (1) isolation (physical, acoustical, and psychological),…

A project undertaken at the Gene A. Whiddon Adult Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida sought to prepare teachers, laboratory aides, and students for the introduction of new computer technology in a language laboratory, specifically for instruction in English as a Second Language. The project had three phases: (1) computer literacy instruction for…