First Advisor

Marjorie Terdal

Term of Graduation

Spring 1997

Date of Publication

6-4-1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Department

Applied Linguistics

Language

English

Subjects

English language -- Computer-assisted instruction for foreign speakers -- Software -- Evaluation, CD-ROMs -- Evaluation

DOI

10.15760/etd.7189

Physical Description

1 online resource (165 pages)

Abstract

CD-ROM applications within the past 5 years have aided the availability of Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) on a mass consumer level. This study assesses how the instructional design of commercial CALL English as a Second Language (ESL) CD-ROM materials make up for the lack of a human instructional component. The framework within which the evaluation takes place is communicatively based. Using a tool developed specifically for the study, 8 software from 6 companies were systematically evaluated. The 3-step process followed in the evaluation makes concessions for student, instructional designer, and instructor needs. Research questions address how the areas of user-friendliness, feedback and error treatment, media relevancy, quality of interaction, record keeping, communicative language input and practice, and culture learning are being accounted for in today's CALL materials. Results show today's software has departed little from past behaviorist products. The findings suggest commercial developers are not fully addressing today's communicative teaching approach, that developers might be using other teaching paradigms for the creation of the CALL materials, and that consumers may not be informed enough to demand a more communicative-based computer product.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/30596

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