This research study compares the impact of a computer-based diglot reader with that of a sophisticated, computer-based, drill and practice program on second language acquisition. The affective benefits as well as depth and breadth of vocabulary development were examined. The diglot method, originally conceived by Burling, introduces second…

This study examines potential designs in the usage of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) for communicative language learning in learner-centered communication. In this study, the authors compared four types of SCMC: text-based chat with and without interlocutors' image, video conferencing, and audio conferencing, each supporting of…

Mobile learning has long been identified as one of the natural directions in which CALL is expected to move, and as smaller portable technologies become less expensive, lighter and more powerful, they have the potential to become a more integral part of language learning courses as opposed to the more supplemental role often assigned to computer…

Good listeners generally produce back-channel feedback, that is, short utterances such as "uh-huh" which signal active listening. As the rules governing back-channeling vary from language to language, second-language learners may need help acquiring this skill. This paper is an initial exploration of how to provide this. It presents a training…

This paper reports on an ongoing project to develop an "eLingua" Latin language-learning application that combines natural-language text-input with computer game-based approaches to discovery learning. The program aims to create a content-based immersive environment within which to test the hypothesis that second-language learning is more…

It is argued in this article that user actions need to be monitored to understand what has happened during the learning process. Monitoring on its own is not enough; user actions also need to be controlled to some degree so that users can receive the guidance they need to help them to the successful completion of the learning tasks in CALL…

Online templates have the potential to scaffold complex writing processes and to provide information and language prompts for writers. The purpose of this study is threefold. First, for assisting students in their scholarly writing, an online Scholarly Writing Template (SWT) was designed and developed. SWT includes two major features: (1) an…

This paper is the result of a need to develop a conceptual framework for monitoring the learner in a computer-mediated language learning environment. In agreement with Chapelle, who suggests that technological capacities must be questioned in the terms of SLA theory, the position held here is that theory is needed even in the case of practical…

This article presents a survey of computer-based tracking in CALL and the uses to which the analysis of tracking data can be put to address questions in CALL in particular and second language acquisition (SLA) in general. Adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods, researchers have found that students often use software in unexpected ways,…

This study aims at finding out the effectiveness of two computer-mediated techniques - cooperative and collective learning--designed for teaching and learning oral skills, listening and speaking. It also aims to investigate students' attitude towards using a CALL approach and techniques for teaching oral skills. Four small groups are involved. One…

Many teachers today use Learning Management Systems (LMS), several of which are open-source. Specific examples are Claroline and Moodle. However, they are not specifically designed for language learning, and hence not entirely suitable. In this article, I will compare two uses of the Claroline LMS available at Louvain-la-Neuve within the framework…

The popularization of portable media players such as the "iPod," and the delivery of audio and video content through content management software such as "iTunes" mean that there is a wealth of language learning resources freely available to users who may download them and use them anywhere at any time. These resources vary greatly in quality and…

This article presents the features, and a brief comparison, of some of the most well-known high-stakes exams. They are classified in the following fashion: tests that only include multiple-choice questions, tests that include writing and multiple-choice questions, and tests that include speaking questions. The tests reviewed are: BULATS, IELTS,…

Within the field of second language acquisition, the acquisition of phonetics and phonology has generally taken a back seat to studies of morphological and syntactical acquisition. Although the lacuna is slowly being remedied by a growing interest in the phenomena of second language (L2) phonology, investigations into the acquisition of…

The belief that students can make valuable contributions to course design through continuous feedback leads to the consideration of alternative methods of learning that involve students in this process and inspire the development of a new relationship: student-teacher partnership in course evaluation and revision. In this partnership, students…