Examines the interactions of pairs of language students working with multimedia. Specific comparisons are made of the patterns of discourse of second-language English Speakers and native English speakers within a framework for analyzing the interactional dynamic that incorporates the ways that exchanges are shaped by constraints. The implications…

Discusses the design and implementation of lexicons in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Topics addressed include the dictionary's role in the learner's acquisition of vocabulary as opposed to its use as a reference tool; mental lexicons; electronic dictionaries; morphological processing; context sensitivity; layering information; and…

Examined writing-revision strategies of college students studying French. Students completed a computer-assisted writing task. Analysis of compositions, computer records, videotaped writing sessions, and student postwriting questionnaires showed that both good and poor French writers did not revise substantially or spontaneously for meaning,…

Describes principles underlying ILLICO, a generic natural-language software tool for building larger applications for performing specific linguistic tasks such as analysis, synthesis, and guided composition. Shows to what extent this approach is relevant to the development of computer-assisted language-learning systems. (Author/VWL)

Presents a model for integrated computer lab and classroom implementation of the interactive videodisc program, Lernexpress, and for adapting a textbook-based syllabus to stand-alone video materials in college beginning German classes. Teachers use the programs to educate students on linguistics and cultural issues. Students complete their core…

Focuses on criteria for design and evaluation of the user interface of foreign language multimedia software. A hybrid model is proposed that combines cognitive and software engineering approaches. Based on this proposed contextualized model of interface design, domain-specific evaluation criteria are developed to describe how well the user…

ITELS is an intelligent system for foreign language terminology learning aimed at enhancing learners' conceptual knowledge as well as in understanding specific terminology. Three agents--each of them characterized by specific roles with respect to the system functioning--take part in the instructional process supported by ITELS: the human teacher,…

Reports on a study of grammar checker usage that surveys the steps taken to successfully integrate it into the curriculum of an advanced level French course. Identifies the pedagogical limits of computer-based grammar checking, explores practical applications, measures short- and long-term effectiveness, and considers the role of self monitoring…

Describes the design and testing process that resulted in the production of "Un Meurtre a Cinet" and "Un Misterio en Toluca," two role-playing applications that ask students of French and Spanish to collaborate to solve a murder mystery using e-mail, listservs, and a culturally-rich Web site. (Author/VWL)

Describes a teaching effort to make second-language learning more attractive to students by placing them at the center of the learning experience. This approach generates exchange of information among students, between students and professors, and between students and the computer. The approach also allows students to work at their own speed. (14…

Captures the complexity of incorporating new technologies in an advanced foreign language course. Describes the activity in which participants engaged to acquire cultural knowledge through use of the Internet. Examines how the instructional context advanced learning. Findings suggest learning can be assisted by computers when this use is supported…

Investigated the effect of first-language (L1) translations on males and females who are beginning French students emerged in a computer assisted language learning (CALL) lesson. Specifically, examined whether access to L1 translations affected performance differently on receptive vocabulary tests and whether there were differences in how much…

Discusses how second-language reading research is focusing increasingly on the cognitive processes involved in reading--the interaction of lower-level, bottom-up processes such as vocabulary acquisition with high-level, top-down processes such as activating prior knowledge. This knowledge is combined with current research on learning with…

Investigated the beliefs, decision-making processes, attitudes, activities, and behaviors of university-level teaching assistants of French as they met once in a week in electronic classrooms and three times a week in non-computer-equipped classrooms. (Author/VWL)

Addresses use of the World Wide Web in the foreign language classroom. Introduces methodological considerations for effective implementation, discusses predidacticized material available on the Web, provides practical examples of applications that focus on enhancing communicative proficiency, and presents activities for practicing grammar items in…