Responds to a previous article that discusses the application of instructional technology to second language instruction. The suggestion is made that there is a genuine need for language educators to become informed about and instructed in the use of the available foreign language instructional hardware and software. (JL)

Describes the development of "SuperMacLang, the 1990s version of the MacLang authoring system. An analysis of various features of the program explains the ways in which certain aspects of collaboration and funding affected developer and programming decisions. (Author/VWL)

The Languages Review Consultation Report recommends exploiting the potential of communications technology for the enhancement of curricular offerings. Newly developed instructional software is credited with opening doors to the cultures of young people while serving as an infinitely patient and supportive tutor. Thus, in the UK as in the US,…

Responds to a previous article on the application of instructional technology to foreign-language instruction, focusing on two interrelated points. These include the need for involvement of faculty, staff, and administrators, and the capabilities of hardware. (JL)

Examination of how teachers use computers in second-language instruction leads to the suggestion that designers need to take a wider view of the computer's role in language learning and more strongly consider the teacher's presence; and that teachers have to contribute more to computer-assisted language learning sessions, using their skills and…

Recent second language instruction computer software focuses almost exclusively on the structures and forms of language, and on programed learning instead of developing communicative skills. Until artificial intelligence changes these old behavioristic principles, computer-assisted language instruction can only play a minor role in language…

Describes the genesis of the Libra authoring system and provides a detailed view of the design of a courseware program created by means of it. Lessons learned during the dissemination of the authoring system underscore the needs for more in-depth understanding of instructional design and the implementation of pedagogical principles by faculty…

Provides a description of the Nuevos Destinos CD-ROM, a joint production for students learning Spanish at the advanced-beginning, intermediate-low, or native-speaker level. Nuevos Destinos involves students in meaningful ways by asking them to solve real-world problems encountered in law offices. (Author/VWL)

Describes the development of the "Portes ouvertes" CD-ROM, which was produced as an integrated part of a first-year method for elementary French. Details the design and production of the CD-ROM with reference to video and textbook elements where such reference is indispensable to an understanding of pedagogical foundations. (Author/VWL)

Discusses a project to design and implement a small French vocabulary tutor for the World Wide Web. Highlights salient features and design of the tutor and focuses on two variants of a module on technology-related vocabulary that were created using very straightforward html code and JavaScript. (Author/VWL)

Question and answer column about the CD ROM medium discusses: (1) optical storage devices available; (2) language teaching applications; (3) types of courseware available; (4) costs to hook up a CD ROM drive as a peripheral to an existing system; (5) how to go about developing and mastering a disk; and (6) mastering and replication costs.…

Analyzes various kinds of student reactions to computer-assisted instruction. Types of computer exercises are discussed, as are the use and integration of courseware into a college foreign language program. (Author/SED)

This article is a revised version of a keynote address given at CALICO 1999. It describes the rapidly changing demography of the U.S. school population and the implications of these changes for pedagogical practices. Discusses implications of research priorities and directions for the work of those concerned with improving the effectiveness of…

Reemphasizes reading and literature in foreign language education and suggests that computer-enhanced reading instruction holds promise as a means to reintroduce culturally dense texts into the curriculum. (Author/VWL)

Proposes that automatic speech recognition (ASR) can effectively increase students' learning twofold over conventional self-study materials. Past and current efforts at the U.S. Military Academy are described that are aimed at integrating advanced ASR into courseware-authoring systems. (Author/VWL)