CALL METHODOLOGY

TSL 641

CALL METHODOLOGY

Interplay between human and technology

Human end is most important

SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF CALL LESSON

Depends on:

•The choice a developer makes in how to present language and practice activities

•The way the teacher utilizes the program

•The way the students interact with the program

FOUR FIGURES / ROLES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL

The Learner

The Developer

The Evaluator

The Classroom Teacher

The Respective Roles - Learner

•The end user

•The person who is supposed to benefit from the product

The Respective Roles - Developer

Will aid the teacher and learner in fulfilling broadly and narrowly defined learning objectives

The Respective Roles - Evaluator

•Analyzes software, •Describes its operation, •Passes professional judgment on the quality of the pedagogy and language materials, •Determines what types of learners and teachers the software might fit (evaluation is done through published software reviews, in-house evaluation, etc.)

The Respective Roles - Teacher

Interprets the results of the evaluation for a particular teaching situation

Methodological Framework

When developing a CALL courseware or website you need to have a methodological framework

Methodological Framework – 3 Components

Development Module

Evaluation Module

Implementation Module

•Development and evaluation precedes implementation•Evaluation can inform development and implementation can inform both development + evaluation

Development Module

Three interacting components: Approach Design Procedure

Approach Theories of language learning / structure

Design The goals and objectives of the syllabus and the roles of the

teacher, learner, and materials consistent with the approach Procedure

Types of exercises, techniques or classroom activities consistent with the approach and design

Evaluation Module

Incorporates Teacher fit Learner fit Operational description

Evaluation Module

Leaner fit Does the presentational scheme fit the students'

learning style? Are the program focus (language area) and learner

focus (skill area) appropriate for the learners' needs as determined by the syllabus?

Is the language difficulty at the right level given the learners' proficiency?

Ss the feedback understandable and useful to the students?

Evaluation Module

Teacher fit The considerations of the

language teaching approach and computer delivery system can be used to judge the degree to which a piece of software fits within the teacher's conception of how languages are successfully learned.

Implementation Module

The actual use of the software

Implementation Module

The elements are: Accessibility Number of computers, availability, setting Preparatory activities

training or tutorial module on how to use the program content preparation

• reviewing grammar rules, discussing the predicted content of a reading passage, etc.

Learner use Follow-up activities (i.e. in-class quiz, discussing the content) Teacher control (control decisions are governed by the

teacher's assumptions about the nature of language learning, the course requirements (syllabus), the teacher's perception of the students)