For ESL educators aiming to incorporate technology into their teaching practice, numerous online resources are available. These platforms encourage ESL teachers to leverage technological tools in language education, enhancing access to essential knowledge and skill development for teaching ESL learners effectively. Integrating technology in ESL classrooms is increasingly common, with many educators experiencing results that exceed their expectations. Various language institutions now employ specialized software within their Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) labs.
When chosen and implemented thoughtfully, CALL software has the potential to foster comprehensive language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Furthermore, it facilitates the development of a range of practical language-related skills while immersing learners in diverse cultural contexts, covering aspects such as lifestyle, etiquette, nonverbal communication, customs, and traditions. Read MORE...
CALL Software If you give people tools, [and they use] their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected.- Bill Gates
Computer Assisted Language Learning Software
There are websites for those ESL teachers who are interested in integrating technology into the ESL classroom. The goals of these websites are to promote the use of technology in the field of ESL teaching and as a result, bring access to the knowledge and skills that are necessary to teach ESL learners. More and more ESL teachers integrate technology into their classroom teaching and achieve excellent results - very much beyond what they had expected. Many language schools use appropriate software in the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) labs.
Professionally selected and appropriately used CALL software can develop all four skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing. It can also develop many other useful skills related to language usage and can expose students to various cultural aspects, such as lifestyle, manners, etiquette, body language, customs and traditions.
1.Listening software, apart from sound, includes visual participation providing students with paralinguistic aspects of the language. Excellent software is available on the market for all ages and levels.
2.Speaking skills, such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm and fluency skills, are developed with the help of specifically designed software where students can utilize computers to record their speeches and compare their pronunciation to the English native speaker’s pronunciation. These pronunciation exercises are often combined with visual aids, such as intonation graphs. Students compare their pronunciation to the target pronunciation and in this way they can achieve excellent results within a short period of time. This software is available for all ages and levels.
3.Reading software includes a wide range of tasks - excellent software online is available for all ages and levels. The famous Babylon is a good example. Many teachers recommend it to their students for free download and free trial.
4.Writing and grammar software includes activities from elementary to advanced levels related to writing research projects, business reports, essays, grammar exercises and other activities. There is a great deal of high-quality software available on the market.
5. Software related to language study skills, etiquette and culture is also available on the market.
Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) software is becoming more and more popular in colleges and schools worldwide. In many English learning programs the computer has become a daily learning tool. Students work on research projects and focus on different tasks by using CALL software. Computers in the self-access centers have become an extension of the classroom at most colleges, universities and English language learning centers.
Ginger Software is the leading contextual grammar and spell checker on the market today. Based on a full sentence context, Ginger can automatically correct severe spelling and grammatical mistakes at an unmatched success rate. It enables users to produce error-free texts quickly and easily. The product is an online service and supports MS Word, MS Outlook, MS PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.
Ginger Software's mission is to facilitate error-free writing, particularly for those who use English as a second language or those with learning difficulties like dyslexia. A unique text-correction algorithm automatically analyzes the context of errors in written English and selects the most appropriate semantic and grammatical correction. To learn more about Ginger Software, click HERE...
References
Chapelle, C. A. (2001). Computer Applications in Second Language Acquisition: Foundations for Teaching, Testing, and Research. Cambridge University Press.
Hubbard, P. (2009). Computer Assisted Language Learning: Critical Concepts in Linguistics. Routledge.
Levy, M., & Stockwell, G. (2006). CALL Dimensions: Options and Issues in Computer Assisted Language Learning. Routledge.Warschauer, M., & Healey, D. (1998). "Computers and Language Learning: An Overview." Language Teaching, 31(2), 57-71.
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