This article discusses the use of the General Architecture for Text Engineering (GATE) as a tool for the development of ICALL and NLP applications. It outlines a paradigm shift in software development, which is mainly influenced by projects such as the Free Software Foundation. It looks at standards that have been proposed to facilitate the compatibility and reusability of resources in the area of NLP, e-learning and ICALL. A pragmatic solution to the problem of missing standards for the development of ICALL related software will be presented and a concrete project based on this model of development is briefly discussed at the end of the paper. (Contains 1 figure and 4 notes.)