Feedback has been one of the important elements of learning and teaching theories and still pervades the literature and instructional models, especially computer and web-based ones. However, the mechanisms about feedback dominating the fundamentals of all the instructional models designed for self-learning have changed considerably with the…

This article explores the configuration of a university foreign language lab given the dramatic changes in the last decade with regard to digital recording technology and the web as a basis for social networking. Resources and procedures are described for completing class assignments, making content available, carrying out assessment, including…

Today's language classroom is vastly different from that of the mid- to late 20th century. The study is a meta-analysis of recent research which provided the means to identify current and emerging trends in the field. Informed by this research, some identified trends that are shaping the 21st century language classroom are outdated practices such…

As blended language learning environments evolve within tertiary foreign language institutions, issues of power with regards to the privileging of electronic technologies come to the fore. Blended learning, or the principled mix of online and classroom-based activities, challenges the practices of traditional CALL and face-to-face teaching within…

The author discusses the reasons for using the language laboratory in foreign language instruction now that the functional approach has replaced the audiolingual method and gives examples of possible lab exercises. (CFM)

Self-access and language advising are relatively recent and increasingly common types of language support offered in schools and tertiary institutions around the world. There is a great deal of anecdotal support for the positive contribution of such support to student learning. Self-access and language advising hold strong potential as…

Discusses Concordia University Colloquium in July 1981 whose theme was a renaissance for the language laboratory. The primary conclusion was that the language laboratory of the past is destined to become the open learning center of the future and that communicative drills must replace mechanical manipulations of language. (Author/BK)

Learner autonomy has been an important issue in English Language Teaching since the 1960s. In language teaching it is of vital importance, since learning can only occur if the learners are willing to learn. So, the students have to realize that their role in the process of learning is crucial. Students have different needs, styles of learning and…

Tapping into technology for foreign language learning is important, given that such learning is seen as vital to the nation's economic and cultural well-being. The development of technology has dovetailed nicely with a new paradigm of foreign language education, says Marty Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of…

The methods and materials used in a language lab (LL) are analyzed. The theoretical advantages of the LL are enumerated, including its ability to provide a variety of programs and activities and its provision of an opportunity for students to listen critically to their voices. In order to determine if these advantages are being used, a set of…

Laboratory practice requires preparation in class and adequate follow-up. Like the library, it does not replace the teacher but is an auxiliary to teaching. The laboratory is not a panacea, but a place for continued experimentation and innovation in teaching methods. Variety in instruction is required. (PJM)

High school language laboratories have been modernized and redefined to become "Language Resource Centers" which should serve not only as language laboratories but also as resource centers, the focal point for all language instruction, and as a clearinghouse for multiple, flexible instructional approaches. (Author/CB)

Describes the use of soap opera in a language laboratory. Each soap opera episode incorporates a vocabulary list from the course text. The list is supplemented by translation exercises and by a discussion of the particular grammatical principles involved, and the episode is followed by a listening comprehension test. (SED)

Describes new approach to use of audio-motor unit as listening comprehension strategy composed of a series of oral commands which elicit physical responses. Proposes using these units in language lab in order to conserve time and have an objective means of evaluating units. (Author/BK)

Discusses the limitations, problems, and inefficiencies with the language lab systems and some of the corrections that should be made to alleviate these problems. The problem is generally in the area of monitoring of more than one student at the same time and of correcting students. (PJM)