Describes the "natural language lab" that was responsible for the author's learning English and other languages. States that the lab provided the experience of real and meaningful interactions with native speakers of the language, which is crucially needed for successful second-language acquisition. (PRA)

Accepting the great motivational value of computers in second-language learning, this article describes ways to use authentic language recorded on a computer with HyperCard. Graphics, sound, and hardware/software requirements are noted, along with brief descriptions of programing with sound and specific programs. (LB)

Defines the relationship that is intended between classroom-based and laboratory based activities, private study and language class, individual and collective effort, and computer-centered and teacher-led learning. Suggests that the aid the computer can provide can be effectively brought into the classroom as an integral part of the teacher's own…

Shows how the language laboratory can become a primary point of convergence for the foreign language department. Discusses how the language laboratory at one college gained momentum as a support for collaborative learning, curricular reform, and study abroad, resulting in greater visibility for the foreign language department on campus and…

This article discusses how a language laboratory can be used effectively in an English as a second language/English as a foreign language program. The lab should be used primarily for listening comprehension, not for drill and repetition. (CFM)

Describes a variety of possible uses of computers in second- language instruction that go beyond traditional drill-and-practice programs. (Author/JL)

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)

Discusses the role of language laboratories in retrospective, paying attention to the technology diffusion process that accounted for their initial success, and contributing arguments for a revision of their historical evolution into a new tool for learning and teaching foreign languages. Includes a survey of existing language laboratory…

In a discussion of video technology and language learning, video is defined as any form of language-teaching (LT) material that can be shown on a television monitor, excluding interactive video. The first part of the paper presents a possible pedagogical framework for video in language learning. The role of video is: (1) to provide a source of…

Starting from the premise that the assessment of second language learners' competence is a must at several points during the learning process, discusses the usefulness of laboratory testing. Argues that it allows for standardized testing, facility of test administration, easy scoring, objective measures, reliability and validity of results. (MES)

Provides an overview of the most widely used methods of classroom oral testing, as well as evaluations of their practicality and conformity to the goals of communicative teaching and testing. Also described are ways the video camera and task-based activities have successfully been used to make oral testing a more realistic communicative…

Emphasizes the importance of pronunciation in the teaching of Italian as a second language and discusses a course in phonetics and phonology taught at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy. Common difficulties are highlighted, and lab exercises to overcome these difficulties are provided. (27 references) (CFM)

Discusses how computers have fundamentally changed the nature of the college language laboratory, examining specific computer programs and computer-based tools and systems. Computer-based language instruction will allow more individualized instruction, give students more control over what and how they learn, and expand the study of foreign…

Describes the role of technology in teaching foreign languages. Offers a brief history of language lab technologies, including computer use for drill-and-practice, text reconstruction, and simulations and games. Discusses tool programs, intelligent systems, video technology, satellite television, videodisc and interactive video, hypertext and…

Student replies to a questionnaire evaluating the use of the language laboratory revealed positive attitudes regarding the effectiveness of the individual practice the lab provides. They emphasized the need for a language lab monitor. Cross tabulations examined attitudinal differences among old and new users, professorial encouragement, and…