Reflect about reading 1

Chapter 2: Technological Change and the Future of CALL

     This Chapter was written by Mark Warschauer from University of California at Irvine.  The shortening's word (CALL) is for Computer-Assisted Language Learning and its factors were discussed in this chapter in details. The author also discussed the relationship between all factors and the technology change to understand them.


          Technological determinism, this term refers to introduction of new technology can bring certain results.     
    

 Then, The author reviewed ten development  in Information and Communications Technology  in order as follows: from phone based to wireless, from dial-up internet connection to permanent direct connection, from using personal computer to the use of portable one, from narrowband to broadband internet speed, from expensive computers to affordable one and free internet in most places, from certain internet users in only developed countries to a worldwide users, from text-based to audiovisual form of information, from using English as online language to multilingual internet use, from non-native to native users of information, and finally the movement from the language laboratory to the classroom. Nowadays, computers and portable machines can be found in classrooms to use it in learning.


      Mark Warschauer studied five areas to find the effect of future development on English teaching. These areas as follows: new context, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies.


      Based on Kern & Warchauer, there are three stages of CALL as follows:


 1. Structural CALL (1970-1980), Mainframe technology.


 2. Communicative CALL (1980-1990), PCs technology.


 3. Integrative CALL (21st Century.), Multimedia Internet technology.


      Nowadays, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has start witnessed the ten developments in ICT in classroom. Also, the five areas (new context, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies) start to emerge in the field of education in Saudi Arabia. All these future development can effect on English teaching in Saudi Arabia and improving the teaching level for the teachers and students.

Terms to know

1- Educational Technology:

Educational technology is the study of facilitating learning and improving performance by using appropriate technological processes and resources.

2- Netiquette:

Netiquette is the network etiquette in using the online communication.

3- LMS:

A learning management system (LMS) is a software application or Web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process.

 4- CALL:

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is succinctly defined in a seminal work by Levy (1997: p. 1) as "the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning"

 5- Blended learning:

Learning on line and face to face

 6- E-learning:

Learning via internet and networks by using e-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning and computer-based learning.

 7- D-learning:

D-Learning is a mode of delivering education and instruction, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional setting such as a classroom