Computers without Multimedia

Programmes like Microsoft Office can be used even if multimedia facilities are not available. Microsoft Office has programmes like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Microsoft Word can be used to correct spelling errors and grammatical errors. As the sentences are typed, the programme underlines all the spelling mistakes in red and all the grammatical errors in green. To correct the errors you can check the whole document and correct all the errors at a single go. Or by clicking on the word with the right mouse button, it is possible to correct individual words. By selecting  a word and pressing SHIFT + F7, a number of alternative words for the selected word can be obtained. Thus the inbuilt dictionary and thesaurus in Microsoft Word is helpful for correcting spelling errors and learning new words.

It is also possible to learn grammar using this programme. The office assistant, which is part of the programme, offers explanations about grammatical items and suggests how they should be corrected. Interactive self learning exercises can also be prepared using software like ‘Hot Potatoes’ and used in a computer without multimedia.

Computers with Multimedia

If multimedia facilities are available, computer can be used as an aid which combines the advantages of teaching aids like pictures and charts as well as cassette and video players. A multimedia presentation using programmes like Microsoft PowerPoint can be very effective to create a deep impression in the minds of learners.  There are a number of CDs available for learning English. In most of these CDs, there is a story line and the players are asked to play games or answer questions related to the story. They can choose to read the story, listen to the audio or watch the video clippings.  They can practise grammar, improve vocabulary, develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and learn to think, interact and use language in simulated real life contexts.

Computers with Internet Connection

Computers with internet connection can be used to bring the whole world inside the classrooms and provide such a vast exposure to the students that they can learn on their own. There are innumerable websites related to the teaching and learning of English at all levels. It is also possible for teachers to prepare their own websites and upload materials suitable for their students and provide links to other websites which have similar information.

CDs for Classroom Use

There are a large number of CDs available now which can be used effectively both in the class and independently by participants to improve their language competence. A couple of CD’s are discussed here as examples.

Reading Blaster: This is a reading comprehension programme which has activities for grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension.  The users of the CD have to  find out what happened to some of the people who have disappeared  and bring them back  home.  Each of the missing people has left three personal belongings behind when they disappeared. The villain Dr. Dabble has hid the evidence in word traps he has set up all around his house.  The users have to outsmart them to release the evidence. Once they have collected the evidence and read the hidden clues, the missing people could be rescued.

There are two modes to play this game – the Mystery Mode and the Explore Mode. The Explore Mode  is meant for practising the word games and reading the text passages hidden throughout the house. The Mystery Mode is for finding all the six missing persons and be rewarded with printable certificates, original stories and humorous animations. There are three levels of difficulty and the player can choose the level at which he would like to start.  The game can be played a number of times as each time the words and sentences given are different. The booklet which accompanies the CD provides the blue print of the house and gives important instructions.

The participants can listen to the story and instructions using the multimedia set up and play the game enjoying the animations.  Learning the grammar and vocabulary or reading and comprehending sentences and passages become part of a game, a challenge that has to be faced if they want to be successful in freeing the  people and getting the certificate.  The final reward is also stories that they can read for pleasure.

Adventures in Speaking English:          This CD claims “By helping the team of adventurers in locating and saving the professor from the witch doctor, you get to improve your spoken English in a very unique fun-filled way.”  This CD has an intriguing story line that makes learning fun; it has context-based and non text-based approach; it uses the objective problem solving methodology; it has the facility to record and play-back your own voice. At each stage there are lessons to be taken, a test in the form of a game and a story line to listen to with video clippings.

       CALL and Teacher Orientation

     Teachers who have not used computers need to be oriented towards the concept of using the computer as a teaching aid and as a teaching assistant. But the orientation itself could set the teacher on the path to long term teacher development. By participating in such orientation programmes and by demonstrating their readiness to learn, teachers could make their learners understand that it is never too late to learn and learning is a process that can continue life long. Teachers can learn how to learn and pass this on to their students and make them independent learners.

3.      Summary

Computer Assisted Language Learning has brought in a lot of variety and novelty to classrooms wherein learners have very little exposure to the language outside the classroom. It is possible to create such an environment that by using computers with or without multimedia, with or without internet connection, students can learn to learn on their own, correct their own mistakes, choose and work on tasks that they would like to work on and become independent learners. Computers can help teachers by helping them store information to be repeated a number of times and make their presentations lively, interactive and appealing to the affective domain of their students. More importantly computer programmes can help the teachers by taking up part of the correction work and by offering help during the writing process. Finally computers can help the teachers also to begin their learning afresh and thereby make the learners understand that learning is a life long process.

4.      Tasks for Consolidation

1.   Do you agree with the point of view that computers can be an effective teaching aid for  

      teaching language?

2.   How can computers help us learn or teach language?

3.   What is CALL? What are the levels of using computers in class?

4.   What kind of orientation might teachers require to use computers in class?

5.   Review a book or website related to CALL.