TEFL CLASS APRIL 7, 2014

1. Based on your language learning experience with CALL software/website, please discuss pros and cons of multimedia CALL with your group members. Think about what you like and what you do not like when using CALL software/website to learn English or other languages. Then come up with a list and examples.

What we like is :

facilitate focused development of English language skill

- From our experience, when we use CALL website we found that it providing alternatives to learners. For example like online dictionary which provide the translation and also the sound (how to pronunce the word)

What we don't like :

provide interaction, communicative activities, and real audience

- From our experience, the interaction or communication on CALL website doesn't seem real. Like when we do an onlin test (like TOEFL) we just type the answer and at last we found the score without knowing whether the answer right / wrong.

2. Many multimedia CALL software packages claim their high level of interactivity. What does "interactivity" mean to you? Do you think they are truly interactive? Please give some examples to explain your opinion.

Well, we don't think so. It is because, however when we use CALL software it's still not real, where we are communicate with a thing that can't be like human being.

Example :

Last time we visit some website which discuss about phonetic script and this website is nearly interavtive and next we found that this website doesn't give further explanation like class courses (in class the teacher will explain more clearly than website do)

3. In the first article you read about "Some Pros and Cons" (ICT4LT Module2.2), the author, Davies, writes, "There is a danger, however, of relying too much on the computer's ability to process the learner's input" and then he cites Levy's (1998) words to support this point: "Where the student is generally working alone without the teacher, the computer has to reliably give the student the right kind of guidance and advice every time the program is used; there is no second wave of feedback that can come with a teacher's presence to act as backup. [...] The success, therefore, of the computer in the tutorial role, hinges on how reliably the program manages the student's learning and on how timely, accurate and appropriate is the feedback, help and advice given." (Levy 1998:90) Do you agree with this point? Discuss this issue with your group members. Can you further elaborate this "danger" with examples?

We completely disagree, why? it is because when we learn in class the teacher will explain more clearly and also give feedback which will help us to develop our learning.

Whereas in online website or software, we learn but it will be more effective if we learn in a real condition.

4.Davies also points out that many designers of CALL-based programs were "more interested in control rather than guidance". Do you agree? Can you give some examples to support or refute this points?

Yes we are agree. it is because we can just join the test without being punished whether we open a dictionary, another website or another sources whict refers to cheating.

For example, when we are doing TOEFL test online we are able to open dictionary (online or not) and also open some references in another website.

5. At the end of this section, Davies makes a final comment on multimedia CALL: "Technology is racing ahead of pedagogy and, unfortunately, often driving the pedagogy. Above all, there is a need for further research into how language students learn. We still know relatively little about the learning process, but what little we know is often disregarded by multimedia developers." Based on your own learning experience with CALL software, did you find some that involve a high level of technology but provide little help to language learning? Or did you find some that involve simple technology but are really helpful to language learning?

Yes, we found a simple technology and helpful which is google translate. From time to time, google translate provide some new feature and keep improve its performance (like vocabulary). Also, this website help us to know how to pronunce a words.

Alvina Yohana S. (211210003)

Margaretha G. Melody (211210021)