Presents a comparison of two types of compact disc (CD-ROM) foreign language tutorials: (1) those made by publishers who favor an immersion approach; and (2) those made by publishers who use grammar-based approaches. Both types of CD-ROMs address various age groups, skill levels, and learning styles. (JMV)

Discussion of Northern Arizona University's experience with implementation of distance education for upper-level language courses looks at problems encountered and solutions adopted in the areas of communication of assignments and exams, out-of-class interaction of teachers and students, classroom configuration, equipment reliability, scheduling,…

This article is divided into two parts. The first discusses theoretical issues related to the software program introduced, and the second deals with practical issues, including technical and pedagogical considerations in implementing the program. (Author/VWL)

This study examined the use of Daedalus InterChange, a local area computer network application, to facilitate communicative language use among college students in two elementary French courses. It found that students had more turns and used a greater variety of discourse functions when working in InterChange than they did in their oral…

Development and evaluation of interactive videodisc (IVD) courseware for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction are described. Effective listening and viewing strategies, identified through descriptive research, were incorporated into an existing ESL IVD. Subjects, 81 college ESL students, were pre-tested, then divided into control and…

A discussion of technology use in elementary school foreign language instruction looks at current uses of technology in the classroom and discusses its effectiveness and potential use. An introductory section describes various types of technology applied to instruction, including: computers and computer software; CD-ROM; telecommunications and…

The report details a study to identify vocabulary needed by Japanese students of English as a Second Language to function successfully in college computer science courses and research laboratory apprenticeships. The vocabulary was then to be taught in the first two semesters of freshman English composition. The study involved development of simple…

The evolution of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is examined, focusing on what has changed and what has not changed much during that time. A variety of changes are noted: the development of multimedia capabilities, color, animation, and technical improvement of audio and video quality; availability of databases, better fit between…

A guide to various instructional technology (IT) approaches is aimed at modern language teachers who are just beginning to integrate IT into their methodology. Hints and suggestions are given about what questions to ask when acquiring a computer and buying software and how to avoid some problems. Chapters include the following: (1) Why should I?;…

A rationale for the inclusion of training in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in teacher education programs at both preservice and inservice levels is presented. The nature of teacher training in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is described through a variety of examples. Areas covered include: the need for an understanding of the…

A collection of essays addresses aspects of the "Language Utilities," the general term for the area of the conjunction of computer science and linguistics. The following are English translations of the titles of the articles in the collections: "Industrialization of the French Language and Its Maintenance as an Important Language of…

Despite the evolution of software for computer-assisted language learning (CALL), teacher resistance remains high. Early software for language instruction was almost exclusively designed for drill and practice. That approach was later replaced by a model in which the computer provided a stimulus for students, most often as a partner in games.…

In keeping with the increased use of computers in schools, the available software for foreign language instruction has grown to over 1,000 titles, mostly of the drill and practice type, and professional associations are reviewing software and computer-related instructional techniques. However, there seems to be no clear direction for the future of…

Developed to help educators locate microcomputer software programs they may want to preview for students in grades K-12, this guide lists commercially available instructional software programs that have been favorably reviewed by members of the Educational Software Evaluation Consortium. Programs are arranged alphabetically by title within…

Electronic language corpora, and their attendant computer software, are proving increasingly influential in language teaching as sources of language descriptions and pedagogical materials. However, few teachers are clear about their nature or their relevance to language teaching. This paper defines corpora and their types, discusses their…