The results of a process of designing, building, and "de-bugging" two replacement language laboratory hardware systems at Concordia University (Montreal) are described. Because commercially available systems did not meet specifications within budgetary constraints, the systems were built by the university technical department. The systems replaced…

Describes three videocassette formats comparing their technical characteristics to determine which is most suited for a given application. Discusses duplication problems and international exchange of tapes, advising about world standards and conversion from one to the other. Gives guidelines to selecting the proper hardware for different video…

Answering critics of language laboratory effectiveness, this article presents a methodology for laboratory work which includes working in partnership. Necessary technical equipment is described. Learning goals are proposed, and possible further developments in the method are suggested. (IFS/WGA)

Discusses the use of compact cassettes in the context of individualized foreign language teaching in laboratory work at the university level. Presents and comments on some technical data regarding the relative merits of cassettes v reels. (IFS/WGA)

Presents the historical, technological, and pedagogical factors that led to high expectations in the use of language laboratories for teaching foreign languages. Presents findings of five studies on laboratory effectiveness showing that efficiency tests were largely irrelevant and inconclusive. Includes 10 proposals for language laboratory use.…

Details the possibilities for and the needs involved in the use of the language laboratory. Included are descriptions of the laboratory as a broadcast/library facility, as well as descriptions of the hardware and software involved. Hardware includes video, video disc, and computer systems. (PJM)

Described is the design of a low maintenance, foreign language laboratory at Ithaca College, New York, that provides visual and audio instruction, flexibility for testing, and greater student involvement in the lessons. (Author/CS)

The language laboratory is a potentially valuable teaching aid. The students' motivation must not be destroyed, however, by forcing them to sit behind a tape recorder in a booth for 45 minutes. They must be given breaks, the working pace must be changed several times, and they must be convinced that they are doing something useful for their…

Reviews trends in language instruction and the use of language laboratories in South African higher education from 1962 to 1990, paying particular attention to racial differences and the movement from an audio-lingual method to a communicative language technique. Questions the wisdom of equipping institutions with sophisticated hardware without…

Recounts the decision-making processes involved in the acquisition (or renovation) of a language laboratory for a small college. Of critical importance was the determination of how the laboratory would best be utilized as well as how it would operate. These decisions determined the best choice of equipment. (SL)

Explains that the speech compressor/expander is a piece of electronic equipment useful in second language learning laboratories. Considering the relationship between technology and its use as an aid in achieving fluency in comprehension, the theory of rate alteration in second language learning is supported as a viable tool to enhance any…

Some goals and activities are suggested to create a positive image of the language laboratory. The ambience, hours of operation, range of audio and visual materials, interdepartmental activities, tape and photocopying services, and extracurricular activities must be designed with the needs of the student, the department, the university, and the…

Success or failure of a language laboratory is due to a complex set of reasons. An often neglected factor lies in teacher and student attitudes to learner-machine-materials interrelationships. This paper specifies significant factors affecting the establishment of positive attitudes in teachers and students through training. The paper has four…

This article discusses universal advantages and disadvantages of various audio systems which may be used for language learning. In order to encourage teachers and administrators to experiment with simpler systems than the conventional language laboratory, a list of several low-cost alternatives is given. The list gives the producer's name, a…

Discusses the language laboratory as a means of developing practical abilities in a foreign language. Two topics are treated specifically: (1) the laboratory from a technical and theoretical perspective, and (2) an analysis of the language skills most effectively trained through use of the language laboratory. (AMH)