CALL Software Applications CALL software applications are designed to promote explicit or implied language learning objectives and are usually based on the software authors' beliefs about the ways in which students learn languages. They offer support in the acquisition of knowledge about language and in the application of that knowledge both in specific and in mixed skill activities. They usually include a substantial degree of interactivity.

Continuation….. CALL software can be content-specific in that the teacher cannot change the linguistic content or the format of the activities which seek to teach that content. Commercial multimedia software supplied on CD-ROM is usually content-specific because it is normally impossible to make any changes to it.

CALL software applications can also be content-free in that the teacher can provide the content which the software then uses as data for the pre-programmed activities.

Criterion for Effective Software Packages Is the level of language that the program offers clearly indicated? Is the user interface easy to understand? For example, are there ambiguous icons that cause confusion? Is it easy to navigate through the program? Is it clear which point the learner has reached? What kind of feedback is the learner offered if he/she gets something wrong? Is the feedback intrinsic (implicit) or extrinsic (explicit)? If the learner gets something right without understanding why, can he/she seek an explanation? Can the learner seek help, e.g. on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, cultural content? Does the program branch to remedial routines? If the program includes video sequences, are they of adequate quality? Are they (a) relevant, (b) an aid to understanding? Does the program include scoring? Does the scoring system make sense? Does it encourage the learner?

Continuation………. Does the learner have to mentally process the language that he/she sees and hears? Or does the program offer a range of point-and-click activities that can be worked through with the minimum of understanding? If the program includes pictures, are they (a) relevant, (b) an aid to understanding? If the program includes sound recordings, are they of adequate quality? Are they (a) relevant, (b) an aid to understanding? Is there a good mix of male and female voices and regional variations? Can the learner record his/her own voice? Can the learner hear the playback clearly? Does the program make use of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)? cultural content? Does the program branch to remedial routines? Can the learner easily quit something that is beyond his/her ability?

Davies & Higgins (1985Davies & Higgins (1985) identified the following types of CALL programs: Gap-filling exercises: GapKit (Camsoft), Gapmaster (Wida) Multiple-choice exercises: Choicemaster (Wida) Free-format exercises: CLEF (Camsoft), Testmaster (Wida) Tutorial programs: CLEF (Camsoft) Re-ordering: Word Sequencing (ESM and Camsoft), Textsalad (Camsoft) Simulations: Granville (Cambridge University Press), the Montevidisco interactive videodisc (Schneider & Bennion 1984)Schneider & Bennion 1984 Text mazes (also known as action mazes): Mazes (NCCALL, adapted from Berer & Rinvolucri 1981)Berer & Rinvolucri 1981 Adventures: French on the Run (Gabriel Jacobs, Silversoft) Games: Vocab (Wida) Cloze: Clozewrite (Camsoft), Clozemaster (Wida) Text manipulation: Fun with Texts (Camsoft), Storyboard (Wida) Exploratory programs: S-Ending (v. Higgins & Johns 1984:71ff.)Higgins & Johns 1984:71ff. Writing - word-processing

Types of CALL programs identified by Jones & Fortescue Jones & Fortescue Grammar: Matchmaster, Choicemaster, Testmaster (Wida) Vocabulary: Vocab (Wida) Reading skills: Storyboard (Wida) Authoring programs: The Authoring Suite (Wida) Writing - word-processing Oral skills - using simulations and adventures as a stimulus: Listening skills: Getting the Message interactive videodisc (Glyn Jones, Eurocentres) Information source: Wordstore (Wida)