3. -Defining a model of CALL

There are many starting points for CALL program development. These include pedagogical theories, learning theories, curriculum requirements, new technological experiences, practices, learning problems, language skills, and materials provided to students (Levy, 1997). 

ELEMENTS IN THE CALL DESIGN 

Hardware

A CALL developer would be able to adapt the hardware to the needs of the proposed system.  Most projects use commercially available hardware for their systems.

Software

In CALL terms, software development can range from making minor modifications to an existing program, using an authoring package to writing a program from scratch in a High-Level Language (HLL). Using an authoring package is much easier than programming with an HLL.

Authoring Packages

Authoring packages enable teachers to develop CALL materials without learning how to program them. 

The Internet and E-mail

The Internet has made access to authentic language materials easier. There are online newspapers and news services with up-to-the-minute information for the world's major languages. Email, chat, and message boards are all available to the learner of one of these languages.

Teacher and pupil classroom behavior: activities used in CALL

Communication tasks and exercises can be organized into different categories based on course objectives (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, fluency), language skill level (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, listening) or Bloom's (1956) questions, and the characteristics of the learners' age, gender, and level (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced).

ACTIVITIES USED

Locus of Control

Locus of control refers to the continuum between program and learner responsibility for decisions regarding the sequence and outcomes of learning, learner interaction, as well as learning content.

Observable changes in pupil behavior

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) provides language learning opportunities that are fundamentally different from those available in traditional classrooms. A good example of this is Ward et al.'s (2007) study of learners' ability to model feedback (e.g., "uh-huh" and other expressions indicating listening comprehension) in an Arabic language course.

CALL and Culture

Language and Culture 

They are inextricably intertwined, and culture naturally plays an important role in the language learning process. It is not just about learning the rules, but the language learner must try to understand the culture of the speaker in order to understand the thought process of a native speaker and thus be able to cope with situations where the rules are not defined.

Issues for the language learning process

The issue of culture and language is more difficult for foreign language learners than for second language learners, although it is not entirely straightforward for second language learners either. In the foreign language classroom, learners can learn about the culture of the L2 by observing cultural norms that differ from their own culture. L2 beginners often enjoy the process of language learning, as they have the opportunity to talk about themselves, but intermediate learners find they have less to say.

Call and Culture

The CALL system can help improve the learner's grasp and understanding of L2 culture. The hypermedia aspects of CALL (through links) provide the learner with multiple access points to the same material and can allow the learner to read cultural information about the language in the material. This information can be presented at several levels. 

CALL, Culture, and Endangered Languages

ELs are at a disadvantage in most aspects of CALL. However, they may have a unique advantage when considering culture. While second and foreign language learners may be unfamiliar with the culture of the L2 community, EL learners, who come from the EL community, live in (almost) the same culture as EL speakers.