A discussion of computer software and courseware for second-language instruction outlines considerations for selecting software of various kinds and presents a list of selected computer programs. Suggestions are made for choosing text-specific software, non-text-specific software intended for language instruction, word processors intended for…

Two French computer software packages that can be of assistance in teaching French-as-a-Second-Language are described and discussed. One, an authoring aid, contains the format for a series of dialogues and comprehension questions. The other allows the production and manipulation of databases and texts. (MSE)

The controversy over appropriate educational uses of computers is framed along a continuum based on the amount of support provided to the user. Software programs in which the user's role is to respond in a pre-determined structure (program controlled software) anchors one end of the continuum, while software which empowers the user to create new…

Reviews research on the efficacy of word processing programs in teaching students how to revise their papers and speculates on what kinds of programs will be available in the future. (JC)

A discussion of computer-based language instruction examines the quality of materials currently in use and looks at developments in the field. It is found that language courseware is generally weak in the areas of error analysis and feedback, communicative realism, and convenience of lesson authoring. A review of research under way to improve…