ICT in Language Learning – POP Quiz
1. As known since early 1980s, the utilization of computer has been increasingly developing not only for trading, business, but also for education. In Education, Computer can enhance the language teaching and learning. By using computer the language teaching and learning becomes more interesting, attractive and effective compared with other media such as tape recorder, blackboard, chalk etc. In this case, computer can support the student to do their assignments easier and solve their problems of language learning faster. Therefore computer becomes intermediary to help the students in language learning process. As medium of learning process, computer is able to make the students interact with it.
2. Some advantages of CALL to enhace the language learning are
i) To guide the students to learn language because CALL provides many resourses of language materials.
ii) CALL can interact as tutor with the students. In this case, the students can improve their knowledge without attending of teacher.
iii) CALL can be utilized to enhance the language learning, to illustrate the explanation and even to stimulate the conversation.
3. Individual differences should be highlighted or taken into consideration in the implementation of CALL because by their difference age, attitudes, motivation, intelligence, language aptitude, previous knowledge, familiarity with computers, interaction with native speaker of English. Spolsky’s (1989) argued that some individual differences include motivation in learning English, attitude toward English, previous knowledge, and social context.
But based on different age, McMeniman stated that “a language learning ability in children increase with age, and that learner of different ages excel at different aspects of language”.
According to Henning (1983), the attitude plays big role in aquisition of language.
Various studies have established that integrative (intrinsic or internal) motivation is viewed as more “powerful” than instrumental motivation in the sense that it has a more significant influence on language learning achievement (Naiman, Frochlich, Stern, and Todesco, 1978; Gardner, 1985; Gardner and Tremblay, 1994a, 1994b; Oxford and Shearin, 1994; Dornyei, 1994a, 1994a, 1997)
4. The prominent principles of designing CALL are:
i). Interactivity (feed back and instruction)
It relates to how the program can stimulate interaction between the computer and the user.
ii). Usability (flexibility)
It refers to the flexibility, ease and inherent interest of the program used, and how to navigate it.
iii). Content appropiateness
It is focus on the amount of material presented in the program, how easy the material is learned and understood, and how far the material is needed by the student.
iv). Effectiveness
It is related to how effective the program assists language learners to improve their grammar.
v). Performance ( attractiveness)
It refers to presentation, layout of the screen, the color, and the illustrations used in program.
5. It is possible to utilize and develop CALL in Indonesia because CALL can e used in many areas, including Indonesia as long as the students and the teachers have ability to enhance language learning and the goverment, in this case Educational Ministry, supports the facilities to increase it.
