Tapping into technology for foreign language learning is important, given that such learning is seen as vital to the nation's economic and cultural well-being. The development of technology has dovetailed nicely with a new paradigm of foreign language education, says Marty Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of…

Three basic kinds of tools exist for computer assisted instruction (CAI): templates, which are often highly user-friendly and require little investment of time but whose potential is limited; authoring systems, which offer a number of options for lesson design and greater variety in approach, but which require more sophisticated input from the…

Language teachers are urged to explore, develop, and use the entire range of applications made possible by the computer and to realize that the computer can do almost anything but generate ideas. (MSE)

Evaluates a multimedia instructional package for an introductory course in "survival" Japanese. The learning modules consist of dramatic video episodes of real-life situations in Japan, complemented by functional pattern drills and listening activities. Examines features, strengths, and weaknesses of the program. (MSE)

Early programs for computer-assisted language learning were limited in size and power by the capabilities of the first generation of microcomputers. As these capabilities have increased, it has become possible for language teachers to take advantage of tools originally intended for use in the business world, such as word processors, spreadsheets,…

Explains how language teachers can write their own microcomputer-based language programs in BASIC, using an example in German. Commercial software packages are discussed, and step-by-step directions are given for creating student exercises and for determining student scores and grades. (LRW)

A study used schema theory as a basis for developing an instrument to evaluate reading software. The instrument was designed to assess software used in English-as-a-second-language (ESL) reading instruction. Evaluation criteria and questions were developed to address the programs' interactive capabilities (flexibility, response to student errors,…

Presents a listing of textbooks, computer program guides, articles, opinion papers, histories, reference works, databases, reviews, bibliographies, organizations, and other information sources concerning computer applications. (MSE)

While disputing the exaggerated claims for computerized teaching symbolized by Time Magazine's choice of a computer for its 1982 "man of the year," this paper argues that since the technology is omnipresent, and that since it can facilitate learning under certain conditions, teachers should be as informed about it as possible. A discussion of…

A guide to courseware authoring aids for computer-assisted language instruction (CALIS) gives suggestions for the selection and use of programing options and provides an annotated listing of those options. Introductory sections discuss the use of computer-assisted language teaching, the selection of quality courseware, the types of authoring aids…

A discussion of the usefulness of computer-assisted instruction in the second language classroom focuses on the value of teacher involvement in material development. It outlines an approach for the teacher to use in becoming familiar with existing courseware, describes the concept of authoring systems, defines commonly-used strategies for…

One way for foreign language teachers to evaluate computer software, or courseware, for computer-assisted instruction is to look at it from the point of view of the roles of the courseware author as production manager, curriculum developer, learning specialist, instructional designer, and evaluator. In assessing courseware, teachers should decide…

This guide to the use of computer software in Spanish second language instruction contains a series of lesson plans based in part on software content. The topics covered by the lesson plans are common to Spanish level 1 and 2 courses, and are intended not as a sequential course but as a reference for teachers. All lessons involve computer use and…

The use of two types of commercially available Apple computer educational software in English for the development of accuracy and fluency in students of English as a second language is described. One type of program is aimed at the drilling and practice of grammar in English. Some of these programs have interesting formats and allow the teacher to…

A computer lesson entitled "Aux Jeux Olympiques" (To the Olympic Games) simulates an ongoing situational dialog between the French student and the PLATO computer system. It offers an international setting for functional learning exercises focusing on students' understanding and use of comparative constructions, selected verbs, and other linguistic…