Contents 
 
 

 

Introduction

 

     Computers have already entered all the spheres of human activity including the process of teaching and studying. Nowadays skills of computer operating are very important for representatives of every profession. There exists a notion "computer literacy" that convincingly illustrates the fact of importance of computer proficiency. However we should not teach skills of work with the computer, its monitor, keyboard, memory devices and other equipment only.

     Computers can be successfully applied in organization of individual work of pupils after classes and testing works. Informational technologies contribute to increase academic motivation of teaching foreign language and advance students´ knowledge. The usage of computer technologies during English lessons significantly increases academic process intensivity. Computer teaching assimilates a large amount of material, than it was acquired using traditional teaching conditions. Besides, material is acquired more substantially by working with computer. Computer supplies multisupporting control of academic process that is current intermediate, total. Using the computer control of quality of the students´ knowledge helps to achieve the large objectiveness of the assessment. Besides, computer control considerably economizes academic time, as it checks students´ knowledge simultaneously. Thus, the teachers don´t have to spend hours checking various tests and homework.

     Being a new technical means of teaching, the computer has only a background, assisting role, as it solves the same methodical tasks that the traditional means of teaching do, such a term as "computer-assisted language learning" completely describes the idea. The use of the computer is not a method, it is a methodical device applied in the modern approaches of foreign languages teaching.

     Software products can solve different tasks at the same time. The important task of many programs is to teach grammar, vocabulary and reading together. Written dialogue between the computer and pupils has some features of the oral speech: combined synthesis and reception of speech, urgent feedback, typically human addresses. During the lesson every student has only several minutes of talk with the teacher, the teaching programs allow to increase greatly the time of communication by means of the foreign language. Very important is the correspondence of software to the textbook, the teacher's book, and the other units of the set. Computer programs are designed mainly for work out-of-class, which makes the time of the lesson free for those aspects of the language that can never be presented in the form of an algorithm. [1]

     But software for teaching foreign languages is just coming into wide use. Many problems are to be solved and many questions are to be answered. Will the expenses of the computers and software be covered? Will the teachers be able to apply the new technology successfully? This work is to answer these and many other disputable questions about computer-assisted language learning and application of the computer programs in the educational process.

     Now it is definitely known that the use of the computer has sense at the first stage of teaching English, that the computer has many advantages in comparison with other technical means of teaching. [2]

     Taking into consideration the above mentioned facts, we suppose, that the topic of our investigation is of current interest. The actuality is determined also by countrywide computerization and, thus, the necessity of any teacher of English to find out all the advantages and disadvantages of application of computer programs to educational process. 

     The aim of the work is to investigate teaching computer programs, while using them as the means of teaching various aspects of the English language.

     In accordance with the given aim, the following objectives were put forward:

     - To study the history of the development of the educational computer programs;

     - To consider all the types of the educational computer programs;

     - To find out the peculiarities of the application of the computer programs in our country;

     - To investigate the results of the application of the information technologies to educational process.

     The subject of the work is the computer programs as the means of teaching various aspects of the English language.

     The object of the work is the application of information technologies, particularly computer programs, to educational process.

     The hypothesis of the work: educational process of teaching various aspects of the English language would be much more effective, provided that particular tasks and topics were studied with the help of computer programs, because:

     1) The application of information technologies to educational process optimizes the work of teacher;

     2) The use of computer programs tends to make the class more interesting;

     3) During the lessons conducted with the help of computer technologies students feel less stressed and more confident in a language learning situation;

     4) The application of information technologies in the educational process increases the internal motivation of the students.

     Methods of investigation:

     - Thorough theoretical analysis of the psychological and pedagogical literature, connected with the topic of the investigation;

     - Interviewing students that took part in model-lessons, conducted with the help of multimedia and educational programs.

     The work consists of two parts: theoretical and practical. In the first part we tried to analyze the main features of educational computer programs, their history, and problems, connected with the application of them. As for practical part, it contains the investigation of the forms of the work with educational computer programs, approbation and its interpretation.

     The aim of the approbation is to find out the effectiveness of the application of information technologies to educational process on praxis. It contains information about model-lessons conducted with the students of the tenth grade with the help of educational computer programs, and short analysis of the results.

     Practical value of the work results from the conclusion that computer-assisted language learning brings about positive changes in the skills and motivation of the students, if used properly. The materials of the given work can be useful, while creating recommendations of work with educational computer programs for the teachers of English.         

         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

1. Computer programs as a part of computer-assisted language learning

      1.1 Computer-assisted language learning and the history of its development 

 

     “Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is an approach to language teaching and learning in which computer technology is used as an aid to the presentation, reinforcement and assessment of material to be learned, usually including a substantial interactive element”. [3]

     Until quite recently, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) was a topic of relevance mostly to those with a special interest in that area. Recently, though, computers have become so widespread in schools and homes and their uses have expanded so dramatically that the majority of language teachers must now begin to think about the implications of computers for language learning. The use of the computer in and of itself does not constitute a teaching method, but rather the computer forces pedagogy to develop in new ways that exploit the computer's benefits and that work around its limitations. CALL takes the central focus away from the teacher as a conveyor of knowledge to giving students learning experiences that are as realistic as possible, and where they play a central role. Also, these approaches tend to emphasize fluency over accuracy to allow students to take risks in using more student-centered activities, and to cooperate, rather than compete. “The computer provides opportunity for students to be less dependent on a teacher and have more freedom to experiment on their own with natural language in natural or semi-natural settings”. [4]

     Though CALL has developed worldwide gradually over the last 40 years, this development can be categorized in terms of three somewhat distinct phases which can be referred to as behavioristic CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL.

     The first phase of CALL, implemented mainly in the USA and some countries of Europe in the 1970s, was based on the then-dominant behaviorist theories of learning. Programs of this phase entailed repetitive language drills and can be referred to as "drill and practice".

     This courseware is based on the model of computer as tutor. In other words the computer serves as a vehicle for delivering instructional materials to the student. The rationale behind drill and practice was not totally spurious, which explains in part the fact that CALL drills are still used today. Briefly put, that rationale is as follows:

     - Repeated exposure to the same material is beneficial or even essential to learning;

     - A computer is ideal for carrying out repeated drills, since the machine does not get bored with presenting the same material and since it can provide immediate non-judgmental feedback;

     - A computer can present such material on an individualized basis, allowing students to proceed at their own pace and freeing up class time for other activities.

     Based on these notions, a number of CALL tutoring systems were developed for the mainframe computers which were used at that time. Such systems system included vocabulary drills, brief grammar explanations and drills, and translations tests at various intervals.

     In the late 1970s and early 1980s, behavioristic CALL was undermined by two important factors. First, behavioristic approaches to language learning had been rejected at both the theoretical and the pedagogical level. Secondly, the introduction of the microcomputer allowed a whole new range of possibilities.

     So, the second phase of CALL was based on the communicative approach to teaching which became prominent in the 1980s. “Proponents of this approach felt that the drill and practice programs of the previous decade did not allow enough authentic communication to be of much value.” [5]

     According to its advocates communicative CALL:

     - focuses more on using forms rather than on the forms themselves;

     - teaches grammar implicitly rather than explicitly;

     - allows and encourages students to generate original utterances rather than just manipulate prefabricated language;

     - avoids telling students they are wrong and is flexible to a variety of student responses;

     - creates an environment in which speaking foreign language feels natural.

     Several types of CALL programs were developed and used during this the phase of communicative CALL. First, there was a variety of programs to provide skill practice, but in a non-drill format. Examples of these types of programs include courseware for paced reading, text reconstruction, and language games. “In these programs the computer remains the "knower-of-the-right-answer". But in contrast to the drill and practice programs the process of finding the right answer involves a fair amount of student choice, control, and interaction.” [6] In this case the purpose is not so much to have students discover the right answer, but rather to stimulate students' discussion, writing, or critical thinking.

     Sometimes programs do not necessarily provide any language material at all, but rather empower the learner to use or understand language. Examples include word processors, spelling and grammar checkers, desk-top publishing programs, and concordances.

     On the face of things communicative CALL seems like a significant advance over its predecessor. But by the end of the 1980s, many educators felt that CALL was still failing to live up to its potential. Critics pointed out that the computer was being used in an ad hoc and disconnected fashion and thus finds itself making a greater contribution to marginal rather than to central elements of the language teaching process. No longer satisfied with teaching compartmentalized skills or structures a number of educators were seeking ways to teach in a more integrative manner, for example using task- or project-based approaches. The challenge for advocates of CALL was to develop models which could help integrate the various aspects of the language learning process. Fortunately, advances in computer technology were providing the opportunities to do just that.

     Integrative approaches to CALL are based on two important technological developments of the time - multimedia computers and the Internet. Multimedia technology allows a variety of media (text, graphics, sound, animation, and video) to be accessed on a single machine. “What makes multimedia even more powerful is that it also entails hypermedia. That means that the multimedia resources are all linked together and that learners can navigate their own path simply by pointing and clicking a mouse.” [7]

     Hypermedia provides a number of advantages for language learning. First of all, a more authentic learning environment is created, since listening is combined with seeing, just like in the real world. Secondly, skills are easily integrated, since the variety of media make it natural to combine reading, writing, speaking and listening in a single activity. Third, students have great control over their learning, since they can not only go at their own pace but even on their own individual path, going forward and backwards to different parts of the program, honing in on particular aspects and skipping other aspects altogether. Finally, a major advantage of hypermedia is that it facilitates a principle focus on the content, without sacrificing a secondary focus on language form or learning strategies. For example, while the main lesson is in the foreground, students can have access to a variety of background links which will allow them rapid access to grammatical explanations or exercises, vocabulary glosses, pronunciation information, or questions or prompts which encourage them to adopt an appropriate learning strategy.

     “An example of how hypermedia can be used for language learning is the program Dustin. The program is a simulation of a student arriving at a U.S. airport.” [8] The student must go through customs, find transportation to the city, and check in at a hotel. The language learner using the program assumes the role of the arriving student by interacting with simulated people who appear in video clips and responding to what they say by typing in responses. If the responses are correct, the student is sent off to do other things, such as meeting a roommate. If the responses are incorrect, the program takes remedial action by showing examples or breaking down the task into smaller parts. At any time the student can control the situation by asking what to do, asking what to say, asking to hear again what was just said, requesting for a translation, or controlling the level of difficulty of the lesson.

     Yet in spite of the apparent advantages of hypermedia for language learning, multimedia software has so far failed to make a major impact. Several major problems have surfaced in regarding to exploiting multimedia for language teaching.

     First, there is the question of quality of available programs. The fact is that most classroom teachers lack the training or the time to make even simple programs, let alone more complex and sophisticated ones such as Dustin. “This has left the field to commercial developers, who often fail to base their programs on sound pedagogical principles. In addition, the cost involved in developing quality programs can put them out of the market of most English teaching programs.” [9]

     Beyond these lies perhaps a more fundamental problem. Most of today's computer programs are not yet intelligent enough to be truly interactive. A program like Dustin should ideally be able to understand a user's spoken input and evaluate it not just for correctness but also for appropriateness. It should be able to diagnose a student's problems with pronunciation, syntax, or usage and then intelligently decide among a range of options (e.g. repeating, paraphrasing, slowing down, correcting, or directing the student to background explanations).

     Multimedia technology as it currently exists thus only partially contributes to integrative CALL. Using multimedia may involve an integration of skills (e.g. listening with reading), but it too seldom involves a more important type of integration - integrating meaningful and authentic communication into all aspects of the language learning curriculum. Fortunately, though, another technological breakthrough is helping make that possible - electronic communication and the Internet.

     “Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), which has existed in primitive form since the 1960s but has only become wide-spread in the last years, is probably the single computer application to date with the greatest impact on language teaching.” [10] For the first time, language learners can communicate directly, inexpensively, and conveniently with other learners or speakers of the target language 24 hours a day, from school, work, or home. This communication can be asynchronous (not simultaneous) through tools such as electronic mail, which allows each participant to compose messages at their time and pace, or in can be synchronous ("real time"), using programs such as ICQ, for example, which allow people all around the world to have a simultaneous conversation by typing at their keyboards. It also allows not only one-to-one communication, but also one-to-many, allowing a teacher or student to share a message with a small group, the whole class, a partner class, or an international discussion list of hundreds or thousands of people.

     Computer Mediated Communication allows users to share not only brief messages, but also lengthy documents - thus facilitating collaborative writing - and also graphics, sounds, and video. Using the World Wide Web, students can search through millions of files around the world within minutes to locate and access authentic materials (e.g. newspaper and magazine articles, radio broadcasts, short videos, movie reviews, book excerpts) exactly tailored to their own personal interests. They can also use the Web to publish their texts or multimedia materials to share with partner classes or with the general public.