ERIC Number: ED419407
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1997
Pages: 13
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Computer Assisted Language Learning: A Shortcut to Proficiency?
Diamond, Kathleen K.
A study investigated the attitudes of language program students, teachers, and administrators concerning the effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) instruction for adults, and specifically concerning EXITO courseware, a Spanish language program developed by the Central Intelligence Agency. Interviews with an adult language student who is an officer in a federal agency, a courseware evaluator, a corporate human resources officer, and a college language teacher explored individual experiences with CALL in general and the EXITO program in particular, focusing on whether language instruction can be effectively transferred to technology, the role of human interaction in language learning, and whether CALL is more sustainable than most language teaching approaches because of its multimedia nature. It is concluded that CALL's effectiveness can be enhanced by development of pedagogically-based courseware, integration of courseware into existing curricula, investment in teacher training, balancing live instruction and CALL, and recognition of the importance of the human element in all forms of training. (Contains 6 references.) (MSE)
Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, Adult Students, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Software, Courseware, Higher Education, Instructional Effectiveness, Instructional Material Evaluation, Instructional Materials, Language Proficiency, Language Teachers, Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Second Language Programs, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A