Technological Change and the Future of CALL
Firstly, I knew what dose computer-assisted language learning (CALL) mean. It means the use multi-media content, either with the supervision of teachers or on their own pace in self-learning in education. I also become familiar with ICT and technological determinism and its two types ( hard and soft).
I agree the writer in first part, especially sociological changes, because we have many changes over and over. In Saudi Arabia before, there was no use of computer-assisted language learning. Nowadays, the use increases. The society use technology in general more than before.
The writer stated that technological development doesn't automatically cause outcomes. He mentioned ten developments in information and communications technology.
For technology and English teaching side, the writer mentioned five areas. These areas are new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies.
In my opinion, CALL can motivate students to learn and make them interact and communicate with each other. If it uses in education in a suitable way, it may improve teaching process and gives better results.
- What is Technological determinism?
It means when the new technology introduces, specific results will come.
- What are the ten developments in Information and Communication Technology ?
The first important change is from phone-based to wireless communication because of improved technology and telephone/Internet relay facilities.
A second change will be a move from dial-up Internet connections to permanent, direct online connections.
A third change will be from the use of mainly personal computers to the use of portable computing and online devices.
A fourth change will be from narrowband to broadband.
A fifth change will be from expensive personal computing systems to widely affordable computers and other hardware, first in the developed countries and then in the developing countries.
A sixth development is that the Internet will change from being an exclusive
form of communication and information, mostly limited to people in developed countries, to becoming a mass form of communication accessible to most of the planet.
A seventh development will be a movement from text-based information and
communication to audiovisual forms of information and communication, as exemplified by the growing popularity of digital photography and home video production facilitated by new technology and the increasing trend for Internet news sites to offer multimedia presentations of news.
An eighth change will be from use of English as the main online language to multilingual Internet use.
A ninth change will be from “non-native” to “native” users of information technology.
A tenth change will be the movement of CALL from the language laboratory to the classroom.
- What is the expected effect on English teaching of these likely future developments ?
The student may waste their times, because they may communicate in their own language instead of using English language which makes the teacher frustrated. It is a good idea to have real-life tasks on the Internet and solve real-life problems in a community of peers or mentors as the writes mentioned. So, they can communicate and talk easily.
- What is meant by the five areas examined: new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies ?
New contexts effective by ICT in teaching English. Because of having native speakers ( such as in U.S., Australia and England ), ESL speakers ( such as in India and Nigeria), and some and EFL speakers in countries such as China, Japan,Egypt, and Israel, so it suggests that there will be a fundamental change in the relationship between native and non-native speaker.
New literacies : Here we have another result of ICT development. In the era of print, the act of reading consisted of an attempt to understand the meaning of a single author. Reading in the online era has become an attempt to interpret information and create knowledge from a variety of sources. Although all reading and research skills include selecting the right questions, choosing the
right tools, finding information, archiving and saving information, interpreting information, and using and citing information, there is a great difference between reading a book in the library and assuming that the information in it is reliable because it has been vetted twice--once by the publisher and again by the librarian who purchased the book--and conducting research online, where the very act of reading cannot be done without making critical decisions at every step.
New Genres : The students demonstrate mastery not only of multimedia but also electronic communication. How can the electronic communication can take a place in teaching new types of writing.
New Identities : The increased importance of online communication is also contributing to new kinds of identities. Teachers should downplay academic literacies, but it does imply that students who use new media can develop a wide range of literacies and identities, and these skills must be taken into account in English teaching.
New Pedagogies : The writer here mentioned the stages of CALL from bad to good and the changes that happened . These stages are written in next question's answer.
- What are the first three stages of CALL mentioned in the reading ?
First stage is Structural CALL - 1970s-1980s
Second stage is Communicative CALL - 1980s-1990s
Third stage is Integrative CALL- 21st Century
In Saudi Arabia :
ICT witnessed the ten development, and they created their own commission at 2001. It growth ,because the people use it more and more.
KSA also witnessed the five areas which are new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies.
CALL began in our educational places many years ago.
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