CALL
Computer Assisted Language
Learning
University of Stellenbosch
Introduction
This presentation attempts to provide an
overview of the historical development of
CALI/CALL, with particular attention to the
concepts, principles, techniques and
applications that have evolved over the
years.
Terminology
The term
Computer assisted language learning
refers to educational measures taken to enhance
language instruction which is not conducted by
computer.
Terminology
The term
Computer assisted language learning
appears to imply that stand-alone language software
[true self-study applications] are impossible, unlikely
or undesirable.
Terminology
If language instruction by computer is only possible or
desirable as an enhancement of other educational
measures, it follows that it must be well integrated
into these measures.
Interdisciplinary character
CALL is a hybrid discipline. It has strong affinities to
other disciplines outside the field of language teaching;
e.g.
 Information Science,
 Materials Design,
 Artificial Intelligence,
 Expert Systems,

Interface Design.
Interdisciplinary character
Language educators with a solid scientific grounding in
these other disciplines are rare which is why Levy states
that:
When one looks at CALL software, one often finds that it
adheres less to educational considerations, but that
“hardware and software tools determine, to a
considerable degree, how CALL is conceptualized“
(Levy 1997: 17).
History (1)
CALL began in the age of mainframe computers with large
well-funded projects, e.g.


PLATO [“Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching
Operations“], 1960, University of Illinois
TICCIT [“Time-Shared Interactive Computer Controlled
Information Television”], 1971, Brigham Young
University.
History (2)
The appearance of the “home computer“ in the middle
of the 70s (Apple I und II, Commodore PET, Radio Shack
TRS-80) and at the beginning of 80s (Apple IIe, Sinclair
ZX80, BBC micro, Amiga, Atari, IBM PC) opened
computing to a broader audience. The beginning boom
also extended to CALI. (cf. Info DaF 1992: 147)
History (3)
As most of the new “micro computers“ were equipped
with the relatively easy to learn programming language,
BASIC, many language instructors learned programming
and began to write their own little applications.
Manuals on programming for CALL soon appeared (e.g.
Graham Davies [1985]: Talking Basic) and the first CALL
journals were founded (e.g. Calico Journal 1983).
History (4)
In the second half of the eighties, the Apple MacIntosh
with the authoring system HyperCard became the
trendsetter (cf. Levy 1997: 23).
By introducing a sophisticated graphical interface, using
symbols to represent functions and the mouse to
activate them, it set new standards for user friendliness.
History (5)
Soon, the MacIntosh offered integrated sound and video.
CALL, which had so far mainly relied on reading and
writing abilities, could now also address listening ability.
Moreover, the authoring system HyperCard made it
possible to develop sophisticated hypertext applications
without much programming skill (cf. Pisani/ Rünneburger
1994). The British Company OWL soon followed with
Guide, a hypertext authoring system for the PC (cf.
Kussler 1990).
History (6)
A vision from the early days of computing became
reality. Ted Nelson who had coined the term “Hypertext“
in 1965, following a concept of Vannevar Bush in 1945,
understood it as one network which would eventually
integrate all texts.
The “world wide web“ of the “Internet“ which has
revolutionised the world of information since the
beginning of the 90s, has made this vision a reality.
History (7)
The Internet thrives on the hypertext principle, i.e.
interconnecting
electronically available
information units.
History (8)
Using “speech recognition“, modern multimedia systems
cannot only reproduce language, but actually be trained
to analyse input from a user.
This enables CALL, for the first time, to address all four
language skills: reading, writing listening and speaking.
The Present
The increasing use of CMC (computer mediated
communication) has given the educator another tool in
the CALL arsenal. One can now use chat, e-mail, SMS
and Skype to enhance one‘s teaching.
Apple has made a significant comeback with the
introduction of the iLife concept which includes iPod,
iTunes and an array of tools with which easily to create
multimedia interaction.
Types of Applications
CALL applications have been classified in a number of
ways. The following three types are intended as a very
basic distinction:



Drill-and-practice
Authoring programmes and authoring systems
Hypermedia
Drill and Practice
The first CALL applications adhered to the dominating
learning theory of the time, Behaviorism, and to the
principles of Programmed Instruction (cf. Levy 1997:
183)
They consisted of simple text presentation and “Drilland-practice“-exercises. Because of their rigid structure,
they were easy to develop. (cf. Levy 1997: 15-21)
Drill and Practice
D&P exercises had a formative influence on CALL. Until
the end of the 80s, CALL software consisted
predominantly of exercises and tests of the types
‘multiple choice‘, ‘cloze‘ and ‘matching‘ to facilitate
vocabulary and grammar learning. (cf. Jung 1988a,
1988b and Info DaF 19, 1992, 2).
Depite the availability of other approaches to
assessment, multimedia applications nowadays still
mainly use these types of exercises. Maybe because
they really are quite simple to develop.
Authoring tools
Authoring programmes either provide prefabricated
templates for specific kinds of programmes or a toolkit
with programming elements (or a combination of these
types) which enable users to create applications without
actually having to program. Sophisticated authoring
programmes of the toolkit type are called ‘Authoring
systems‘. They normally offer a “Courseware
Management System” with which learner responses can
be evaluated, analysed and stored.
Authoring Systems
The PLATO project resulted in a versatile authoring
system, TUTOR. Later, the Plato Author System for
single user workstations was developed. The successors
of these early ASs became more and more powerful.
Extremely sophisticated and versatile hypermedia
learning applications can be developed with the latest
versions of programs like Authorware, Director and
Captivate, for example.
CALL Authoring Systems
Authoring systems like CALIS (later WinCALIS :
“Computer Assisted Language Instruction System”) and
Dasher were developed specifically for language
teaching.
However, the more sophisticated the system, the more it
requires in terms of mastering it. Simple authoring
programmes can be mastered in a few hours.
Sophisticated authoring systems like Authorware require
months of very intensive training.
The cognitive model of AS
Until the end of the 80s, CALL applications were mainly
used as ‘paging machines‘, presenting information and
then asking questions on the material presented. The
questions were set according to a few expected options,
and users were ‘branched‘ according to their results.
The cognitive model behind such applications was a
flowchart which predetermined what, how and in which
sequence material ought to be learned based on the
accepted theory of the time.
Hypermedia
The ‘paging machine‘ type of CALL application became
much less prominent with the advent of hypermedia.
Hypermedia applications can be stand-alone or webbased, the latter becoming more and more widespread,
because of ease of delivery.
Hypermedia
Hypermedia enables the creation of applications which
can be used with a greater amount of freedom for the
user to choose how she wants to master the material.
Obviously, the learning theory which underpins the
development of a specific learning application will
influence the choice of developmental tool.
Hypermedia
Hypermedia enables the creation of applications which
can be used with a greater amount of freedom for the
user to choose how she wants to master the material.
Obviously, the learning theory which underpins the
development of a specific learning application will
influence the choice of developmental tool.