Language Learning Styles

Your Own Special Individual Different Learning Styles:

HOW you Learn determines WHAT and HOW WELL you learn a Language

What is the best way to learn a foreign language? Everything depends on your particular approach to learning. Take a look at the following approaches to language learning. No matter the language, our minds work the same way. But our personalities differ. Just as we have different ways of showing our joy or our anger, we also express our desire to learn languages in different ways.

MOTOR MOUTHS: The persons who are not afraid to try out the language they are learning will progress very rapidly. These folks probably have a little genetic edge over the rest of us. However, we all should try to put together the pieces as we learn them. If there is no opportunity to talk with someone else, then we can tape our attempts. There are two parts to this early talking practice: confidence and pronunciation. The most important thing is to gain confidence or to be thick-skinned enough to speak your piece, knowing that the exercise will pay dividends. However, we should not put off working on our pronunciation until it is too late and we have given up on acquiring a valid accent. For example, there are too many people who after living years in a Spanish speaking country are perfect in their grammar but who have a typical or even stereotypical English accent. There is no need for that. Spanish is perfectly regular in its phonetics. Motor mouths should also work on their accent!

NON-VIRGINS: Those who have already studied another language should use the skills they acquired with that language. They know what a conjugation is. They know that verbs are different from nouns. Their previous study gives them some mental hooks to help with their new language. They should not throw away their advantage by working on THE LANGUAGE THEY ARE LEARNING in a completely conversational manner. They should try to get an overview of some commonplaces in the language. They should get an "old fashioned" grammar and lean heavily on the tables to organize their thought. This type of learner should "invent" their new language on the basis of what they know of the other language. They will remember a little of the structure of the other language. For example, what is the relation between adverbs and adjectives? What is the most common way to express what happened yesterday (past tense)? If the other language is a Western language, they should observe the possible similarities. If the other language is non-Western, the very differences can be their starting point to learn the counterparts. In short, they should study "the wrong way". This is not for everyone. The learner should know his or her STYLE.

BRAINS: These folks will operate much like the Non-Virgins. They will progress better by concentrating on the little points that intrigue them in their new language, such as the difference in usage in Spanish between the prepositions "por" and "para" and the verbs "ser" and "estar". The same goes for "da" and "di" in Italian. To master one or two of these elements so characteristic of their new language will help the learner build on their conquests to go on to master other things. This analytical approach will be of great utility to the persons with the cerebral learning style.

WORD COLLECTORS: This person may be great at crossword puzzles Crucigramas) in Spanish OR French, etc. but rarely gets to speak it. If you find yourself learning words and not getting any further, break out of it! We once had a houseguest, a young man from Spain who came to learn English. There were times when our family would be talking Spanish, and he would echo all the Spanish words with their English equivalents. He had a great vocabulary but never got around to talking English. This kind of learner should always make sure that they make up sentences to practice using the new words they learn. They can combine their ability with vocabulary with the "divide and conquer" tactic. They should not only invent sentences to use the new words; they should run through different grammatical constructions as the setting for their vocabulary.

PEOPLE PEOPLE: Anyone who likes being with people and who has a need to communicate will progress quickly in learning a language. Many outgoing, friendly people learn language in the "motor mouth" mode. However, other people without the gifts of the motor mouths can gain valuable exposure to the language by just following their social instincts. These folks, however, should not overlook the need to speak correctly. Although they are not interested in traditional grammar in the same way the "brains" are, they must work at speaking correctly. We all know people who learned English years ago, but still say things like, "I am interested to go with you". You don't want to spend your life in the language you are learning with a similar easily corrected error. Learn it right as soon as you can. The people people have to stay curious about the language. The people people should repeat in the same conversation the new expression that they just heard. The same goes for all the others. The only way to learn a language is by following the "Swiss cheese" method, nibble away at the things you don't know, and master them until they are all gone.

LEARN-WHILE-DOING PEOPLE: I was told once that the only way to learn French was to sleep with a French woman. The idea behind this is that we learn the expressions and words for the activities we are interested in. People who learn like this try to get their native-speaking friends to accompany them as they cook or fix their car. They find that they learn better when their whole body is involved in learning the new words and phrases. For example, the person who learns the word "serrucho" while sawing a board will remember it better than the person (see the "word collector") who just learns the vocabulary from a list.

DIVIDE-AND-CONQUER PEOPLE: Every learner of a foreign language has to learn to incorporate the learning style of dividing and conquering into their own style. If they are "brains" they should concentrate on one grammatical turn of phrase, such as conditions contrary to fact, (If my grandfather hadn't died, he'd be alive today!) until they can handle it.

LOST LATINOS: This person should try to remember the nursery rhymes that they might have learned in Spanish. They should run over the names of their cousins and uncles. All of this will loosen up their rusty language skills. They should listen to how others speak "spanglish" and try to figure out the proper way to say things. They should make a game of trying to spot the influence of English in the Spanish they hear at home or in the barrio. This detective work will make them more aware of correcting whatever bad habits they have picked up. However, don't think that these persons have all the advantages. The person learning from scratch will probably spell Spanish words better than those who know a little Spanish. I'm not sure why.

What works for EVERYONE... There are two activities that will help everyone move forward rapidly, no matter what their learning style or he language they are learning: They are: 1. Passive Listening, and 2. Pattern Response Drills.

1. Passive Listening. Everyone should keep the foreign language radio on as much as possible. Keep the radio or TV on while you doing other things. It has to be the sea of sound that you swim in while you are beginning your study. You don't have to concentrate on it; you are not listening to try to understand. After a while you won't hear it but it will be affecting you. Little by little you will begin to anticipate the rhythm of the language, even before you understand everything. You will also begin to recognize certain words. You will begin to hear "beyond" the differences in pronunciation of different people and recognize the underlying word. Once you clearly hear a word or phrase, you can look it up and progressively expand your vocabulary.

2. Pattern Response Drills. You have to run through all the permutatinns of the new expressions that you learn. For example, suppose you just learned to say. "Pedro tiene cuatro años" rather than translating from the English incorrectly, "Pedro es cuatro". Now to make this new element of the language stick with you, you should go on substituting different ages and the names of different people. You have to be able to say comfortably, "María tiene cuatro años." "Juan tiene ocho años." "Yo tengo treinta años." "¿Cuántos años tienes tú?" "Nosotros tenemos cuarenta años." This type of drill is necessary for all the different learning styles.

Features That Can Cause One Language Learning Software Program to Stand Apart From The Others

If you are looking for a software program to help you learn a new language then you should focus your search down to one of the most important features, which is quality. It's important to remember that not every language learning software is made equally which means that it's in your best interest to find the one that will take you to the point of fluency. Finding a quality language learning software program on the Internet today can seem like a daunting task due to the vast majority of language software programs on the Internet. Luckily, I have had to go through this chaotic experience myself and as a result I have compiled a few tips to make the searching process easier for you so that you can find a great language learning software program.

Every language learning software program is different! With that in mind, I began my searching by identifying what features make up a great language learning software program. I started with thinking about teachers teach and what makes one teacher better than the next. By putting a language learning software program into that perspective, I realized that it comes down to one component and that major component is the teaching methods of the software program. This couldn't be more evident than it is in the two language software programs called Rocket Languages and Rosetta Stone. Rocket Languages uses a traditional approach where it includes a huge audio database that incorporates English comparisons. Rosetta Stone takes a different approach too teaching its students by focusing on using total immersion. Total immersion basically teaches you a language in the same manner that you learned your first language. With total immersion there are no English comparisons and you learn by associating pictures with words and phrases in that language. You will use the words and phrases that you learn and evolve them into sentences and eventually conversations. Both of these software programs have taught students to learn a language to the point of fluency which leads me ask the question "which do you choose then?" To answer this question, you have to find out how you learn! Do you have a really strong visual memory or are you better at remembering definitions and words through English comparisons? When you are able to answer this question you will be able to move forward and look for additional features like learning tools.

In order to out compete each other, language learning software programs have started developing addition perks or learning tools to help their students learn more efficiently. The names of learning tools that provide the same service vary from software to software program. So you should look for learning tools that will make your learning experience with a particular language software more enjoyable. Three tools that I know of that will make learning a language more enjoyable for you are the speech pronunciation tool, progress tracking tool, and personalized learning path tool. In general, the speech pronunciation tool teaches you how to pronounce words correctly in another language. This tool is extremely important because it teaches you the spoken language. Without it, you run the risk of pronouncing words incorrectly and as a result you may not be understood when talking to someone in that language. The progress tracking tool is really neat because it allows you to keep track of your activities and focus on areas that you may be performing weak in. The personalized learning path tool is also neat in regards to it providing you with the ability to design a study path according to what you want to study. With that said, these are only a few of the learning tools that you may come across while searching for a language learning software program. Find tools that you like and look for them in the various software programs! In addition to learning tools, you should also focus on software language programs that cover all of the basic language fundamentals.

The fundamentals of any language are reading, writing, speaking, and listening! If you are missing just one of these fundamentals then you are limiting yourself and your ability to become completely fluent in a language. That's why it is really important to choose a software language program that covers each of these fundamentals. By using a language learning software that teaches these fundamentals, you will be creating a strong foundation for yourself which will enhance your ability to learn progressively harder lessons.

Very quickly, lets recap the four main points that I just went over in order to identify a quality language learning software program. The first thing that you need to do is identify how a language learning software teaches its students. I mentioned total immersion and the combination of audio with English comparisons. The next thing that I mentioned focused on incorporating how the language software teaches with how you learn the best. The third point that I covered in this article focused on identifying the learning tools to go with any particular language software. The last point that I made was mainly to inform you that it's going to take a firm understanding of how to read, write, speak, and listen in another language to become fluent in that language.

What Is the Best Language Learning Software If I Wish to Learn Spanish?

Today, many people are opting for learning a new language for employment and personal reasons. They scour the net for the best language software and for options unavailable decades ago, such as being able to learn Spanish online. Two of the best language learning programs in my opinion are Rocket Spanish and Rosetta Stone. Interactive Spanish programs are becoming popular due to the following reasons.

Firstly people have increasingly busy schedules and a regular class does not always fit people's timetables. Then there is the problem of affordability - a tutor or full-time class can cost a bomb.

People prefer to "learn on the go" and audio lessons, such as those advertised by Rocket Spanish or Rosetta Stone meet this need. Finally, people want to learn Spanish fast and if they can do it online or through an interactive program, they will.

So what are the pros and cons of the best programs? Well I do not have space here to talk about all of them so in this article I shall cover two of the better, well-known programs: Rocket Spanish and Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone's Spanish program is designed in such a way that the more practical sentences and phrases, that are needed to encourage learning in the initial phase, are available towards the end of the program. This reduces compliance to the program because the learner cannot apply what he/she learns from day one.

This program basically starts off with loads of vocabulary that you have to inculcate before you can totally immerse into it. This can take away the fun part in learning and cause diminution of interest.

Rosetta Stone uses what is known as a 'Dynamic Immersion' technique to teach you Spanish. Basically this involves no conscious thinking by the student; instead the program attempts to immerse the student in the Spanish-speaking world and to pick up words through practice and repetition.

The advantages of Rosetta Stone are: it's an accessible teaching style and you do not need to be always memorizing phrases or writing down rules-you earn language like a baby does; it can definitely help to improve your pronunciation.

The disadvantages of Rosetta Stone are that if you buy into all the levels it gets quite expensive.. Also you need to do practise and repeat words and phrases a lot to remember what you have learned.

Rocket Spanish most users say is more traditional being an audio course (yes you do need to spend time on the computer as well) with extra reading material to give you grounding in grammar and vocabulary. Their games which contain picture/word associations are similar to Rosetta Stone but not as comprehensive.

Rocket Spanish has a forum and generally seems to be more responsive to its students and offers multiple choice questions so students can assess their progress.

Advantages of Rocket Spanish are: it is cheaper than Rosetta Stone and many other language learning programs;it is responsive to what students want and need: it has a reasonably busy forum where you can ask questions. Follow-up lessons can be sent out by email. It offers a good (but by no means exhaustive) grammar and vocabulary guide, a few games like Rosetta Stone and a decent audio course.

Should I Learn Spanish With a Language Learning Software?

If you are interested in learning Spanish then you have several options available to you that can help you achieve that goal. Learning Spanish is a really smart decision because Spanish is one of the most common languages spoken around the world! In addition, the number of people who speak Spanish is rapidly increasing in the United States. It's been estimated that by 2050, the Hispanic population will be the largest ethnic group in the United States. If these trends continue to maintain their same course then it's going to be extremely important for a person to know how to speak both English and Spanish.

What are the advantages of learning Spanish with a language learning software?

If you decide to learn Spanish with a language learning software then you will be making the overall process of learning Spanish much easier. Spanish is considered one of the easiest languages to learn, this is certainly true if you have the right teaching tools! Without the right teaching tools, learning Spanish can be really difficult. The main difficulties that a student will face without a language learning software are pronunciation and guidance.

The Spanish language is unique because its verbs and its consonants are pronounced slightly different than they are in the English language. These variances cause problems for students in regards to pronunciation. For example, the vowel (a) sounds like "ah", the vowel (e) sounds like "a" in English, and the vowel (i) sounds like "e" in English. These are just a few of the examples. If you interested in a really cool Spanish song that allows you to see and hear the pronunciations of all of the letters in the Spanish alphabet then check out the Spanish Alphabet Song

Guidance is also a problem that most students face when trying to learn a language on their own. It's hard trying to plan your study schedule around your work schedule and any other lifestyle activities. You can over come this problem by using a Spanish tutor or by taking a Spanish course at your local college. These two options are really helpful but they also have their limitations. Learning a language with a language learning software is a study option that you can go for that helps you overcome any limitations that the other two methods may lead you into.

Features in a Language Learning Software Program That Will Make a Difference

Alright, so you have made the decision that you want to learn a new language! Now where do you go from here? How can I find a really good language learning software program to help me learn a language to the point of being fluent? These are the same questions that I had to ask myself when I first started searching the Internet for software programs to learn a language with. Fortunately, I did find a software program that worked great for me and in order to make the overall process easier for you I have written several tips for you to follow that will help you reach the same goal of becoming fluent in another language.

What features do I need to look for in a quality language learning software program? To find a quality language learning software program you need to look at the most basic teaching element in the software program! Basically, how does the language learning software go about teaching its students? There are several great programs to learn a language with on the Internet today and two of these programs are Rocket Languages and Rosetta Stone Languages. Rocket Languages is a newer software program and they focus on teaching their students by using audio lessons. Each audio lesson incorporates English comparisons and allows you to develop your understanding of that languages spoken word by teaching you listening comprehension. This language software also includes several other great features but its main area of teaching focus is in its audio lessons. Rosetta Stone takes a different approach to teaching its students and their method of choice is total immersion. The total immersion method teaches you a new language in the same format that you learned your native language as a baby. Basically through picture and word associations. By using these basic word associations, Rosetta Stone hopes that you will eventually be able to develop and use these comparisons to build sentences and eventually have conversations with other individuals. It should be noted that both of these courses have taught students to speak fluently in another language. So how do you pick one software program over the other then? Remember where I said that all software programs are not created equal? This is where you come into the equation! You need to assess how you learn best and then choose a software program based on whether or not it stresses your learning strengths. By doing this you will greatly improve your chances of learning a language to the point of fluency. Once you have identified which learning method works best for you, you can start looking at the other features the software program has to see if those addition features are worth the price you will have to pay for the language learning software.

Language learning software programs that are of higher quality generally tend to have additional features for their students that will help them learn more effectively. These additional features are typically called learning tools. A really good example of a language software that has several great language learning tools is the Tell Me More Languages software. This software program includes a tool that provides its students with the ability to improve their speech and pronunciation of tons of words in the language they are studying. Two other great tools that comes with this software program are the progress tracking tool and the personalized learning path tool. With these two tools, you can keep track of your progress through the various lessons and you can develop a study guide based on how much time you want to study each and every day. The Tell Me More Language company designed these tools to provide their customers with better learning experiences which also makes them more attractive to potential students. Learning tools are great additions to enhance the value of a software program but when you are choosing which language learning software to learn with, you need to choose a program that focuses on teaching its students each of the basic language fundamentals like reading, writing, speaking and listening. Knowing how to communicate in another language by using these fundamentals is crucial to being able to communicate fluently in your language of interest.

Learning to read, write, listen, and speak in a language is very crucial to becoming fluent in a language. If you choose to learn with a software program that covers only a few of these fundamentals then you will be setting yourself up to never be completely fluent in a language. Yes, you may be able to speak to someone in another language but can you sit down and read a menu at a restaurant or read a news paper in that language? This is why you need to learn with a language learning software that incorporates all four fundamentals. If you do choose a software program that incorporates these fundamentals then you will be giving yourself the opportunity to become completely fluent in another language.

Lets very quickly review what you need to look for in a great language learning software. First, identify how a language software teaches its students. Second, incorporate the information in point one with how you learn most effectively. Thirdly, identify what learning tools come with the language software and will these learning tools make it easier for you to learn. Finally, see if the language learning software teaches all of the core fundamentals that are necessary to know in order for you to become completely fluent in a language.

Language Learning - A Review of Popular Methods

Today's technology has made the world much smaller and many people have become interested in learning foreign languages. Some want to learn for fun, many for business reasons, but it is your desire and passion to learn that will make you successful. No one can give you that.

I have discovered that many popular language-learning methods are not what they say they are and you can waste a lot of money quickly on them. Here is my homework on some of them.

Rossetta Stone - online - $299 for 12 months

I tested the free demo online at the Rossetta Stone site. The demo seems to brag that there are no written translations, you learn from looking at pictures only. The first lesson for Spanish shows pictures of a woman (una mujer) and man (un hombre). By clicking the pictures you learn the words woman and man. The next lesson shows a boy (un nino) or girl (una nina). So now you have learned words for boy, girl, man and woman. The next pictures are of people drinking and eating. You learn all of this from pictures only. There are no written translations. This is where I had a few questions. What if I wanted to know who is this woman? (in the picture) What is her name? Where is she from? What kind of pictures can they make to teach me the words who, what, where, her and name? Also what do the words is, this, and from look like? I had to use Google translate to find that (una) and (un) are the word "a" in Spanish. I urge you to take the free Rossetta Stone demo online before you purchase it.

Pimsleur - software - $119.95

The site started by teaching me phrases. I think it makes more sense to build a vocabulary first than to start with phrases because then you will know what each word means. From their free half hour lesson of repeating phrases I learned the Spanish words for pardon, understand, English, miss, speak, sir, no, yes, a little, North American, you, and are. Twelve words. I was a bit puzzled because they taught me "entendo" and "entende" for the word "understand" then told me I was saying "I understand" and "you understand." "Yo" is I in Spanish and "usted" is you. "Yo" was never spoken with understand and "usted" was used only at the end of the lesson and not spoken with the words for understand.

The lesson is audio only. Nothing is written. I like to see the words because for me it is easier to remember them. I completely agree with their statement - "Probably no aspect of learning a foreign language is more important than memory." Word memory is the key. Repetition is good for this reason. I think you could learn from their approach but it will be slow and impossible to learn phrases of your own choice.

Transparent Language - software - $179.95

I like the philosophy of the site. I could not test it because they offer no free trial or way to see how they teach so I Googled the site for reviews. I have found if reviews talk only how great the method is but not how you are taught or why you will learn fast they are most likely written by the people selling the product. No trial lesson and no review with content? You decide.

World Word Exchange - online - 2 lessons $12 - 4 lessons $20 - 8 lessons $32

This is a new site. Their philosophy seemed sound so I signed up and got a free lesson. The site has seventy-six lessons of twenty words each. The first lesson had the words: who, what, where, when, why and how among others. These are helpful one-word question words. I clicked the words to hear a native speaker say them. What surprised me was that they spelled the English word first, next to it the word was spelled phonetically in English, and then they have the native text. I listened and studied for a while then went to their memory test. It's a multiple-choice word game which challenges you to match the question word to eight other choices. This is an excellent way to remember the words in my opinion. Repetition is how we remember.

The site also has a grammar section that explains how to use the words and there is a page to practice spelling. For people who already know some words there is a user lesson page where you can choose the words you want to learn. The site has some great tools. The most impressive feature is the organization of the words you learn. Learning the most common words first is a feature no other language method I could find has. The only down side to the site is they teach only Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Thai. Hopefully more languages will be added soon.

Optimizing Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

Technology transforms virtually all human pursuits. In the field of education, the use of audiovisual aids, computers, and telecommunication devices has radically altered classroom dynamics. For ESL and TFL practitioners, the possibilities being opened up by technology are highly promising, with the currently accepted practices already demonstrating the huge benefits technology offers to both students and educators. Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is a growing sector and advocacy in the language instruction area that has huge potentials in making the learning of a second or foreign language easier and more accessible.

The impact of technology on all levels of academic instruction cannot be overstated. For the most part, educators agree that technology enriches the learning experience in many ways. For example, watching relevant video clips certainly enhances how students develop an appreciation of nature and its processes. Research work also becomes much easier using an online computer. In the ESL and EFL sector, the advances in software development and the channels through which multimedia instructional content can be delivered has already reached the point that ignoring CALL in instructional strategy is almost unthinkable. Serious language educators who wish to be effective, updated, and creative practitioners should integrate CALL in their lesson plans.

Various studies already affirm the positive impact of technology on students' ability to think, articulate, and create ideas using words that are expressed verbally or in writing. There are already dozens of computer software, for example, that are designed to allow young learners to create their own stories even before they undergo formal language training. Word processors are not just great tools for doing home work, they are also instrumental in helping students grasp English syntax through built-in dictionaries as well as spell and grammar checkers.

Definition and History of CALL

Broadly defined, CALL refers to approaches in language teaching and learning that uses computers as aids in one or more aspects of the learning engagement. These aspects include how instructional materials are presented to students, how students engage the instructional content, and how their understanding of the lesson concepts are assessed. Thus, Power Point presentations, video conferencing, interactive language games, and computerized assessment exams all fall under the classification of computer-assisted language learning.

The use of computers in language instruction can be traced to as early as the 1960s wherein programs lodged in mainframe computers were used in universities as teaching aids. One example is the PLATO project that was designed in the University of Illinois and offered a number of coursework from elementary to university levels. When the personal computer was introduced in the late 1970's, CALL programs were developed and marketed more aggressively. Since then, CALL evolved into a formidable tool for instructing language learners, and one that should never be barred from a language classroom.

Benefits of CALL

Early studies on technology-enhanced instruction already indicated strong evidences on the positive impact of technology on education. According to these studies, technology-enriched classrooms exhibit impressive learning outcomes including higher test scores, improved learner attitudes, higher interest about the subject matter, and deeper engagement.

Two such studies are particularly notable. One was directly funded by the Department of Education while the other is a 10-year program called ACOT (Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow) initiated by Apple. The first study concluded that the effective use of technology translated to improved gains for all students regardless of demographics: parental income, gender, age and other criteria. Meanwhile, the second study reported that students immersed in technology-enhanced environments not only performed consistently well but also learned other competencies that were rarely measured before. These include behavioral modifications wherein students are encouraged to explore their environment more. Students under the program also became socially aware, self-starters and independent learners. They were also enabled to communicate more effectively and generally developed more confidence in their abilities.

When properly deployed, CALL delivers huge benefits that ESL and TFL educators cannot choose to ignore:

· CALL has a significant positive effect on learning achievement.

· Interactive videos are effective tools when lesson concepts have strong visual elements.

· Online collaborative interfaces have been shown to improve students' academic skills as well as increase their self-esteem.

· Use of computer-based instruction can result to positive attitudinal changes--particularly those relating to self-confidence, learning motivation, and how lessons are received. When students are allowed to manage their own learning pace, the effects were greater.

· CALL transforms the learning environment into a student-centric engagement.

· CALL encourages cooperative learning and dramatically improves student-teacher interactions.

· CALL provides avenues for passive and underachieving students to perform, communicate and participate better.

Barriers in the Use of CALL

While the advantages of integrating CALL in the overall language teaching strategy are well-documented, there are still barriers that prevent many educators to fully embracing the benefits of CALL. In a study conducted at the University of Taiwan, these barriers were itemized as follows:

1. Financial Barriers. The cost of computers, online connectivity, software and technical support can be prohibitive, especially in economically less advanced locations.

2. Availability of Relevant and Applicable Software. High quality software that are applicable to the socio-cultural context of the language classroom may sometimes be difficult to come by.

3. Technical Proficiencies of Teachers and Learners. There are cases wherein the learning curve required of teachers and/or students to develop adequate proficiency in the use of new technology may prevent full integration.

4. Hesitation in Accepting New Technology. Similarly some cultures take longer to accept novelty than others.

Notwithstanding the barriers, the future is still very bright for computer-assisted learning simply because it has been consistently demonstrated to work extremely well. In addition, many of the barriers will eventually be addressed even in the short term (the prices of computer hardware and software are generally going down, computer interfaces are rapidly becoming so intuitive that people hardly need a technical background to operate touch screen phones, notebooks, and computers, etc).

Conclusion

CALL is arguably the most formidable instructional aid ESL/EFL educators can integrate in their learner engagement strategies. Currently, the range of available online applications that ESL/EFL educators can use in their classrooms is far-ranging. There are dictionaries, encyclopedias, language translators, resource links, forums, chat rooms, digital pronunciation tutors, quizzes, videos, music and games. Aligning lessons to integrate some of these aids will enrich the experience of both students and language teachers.

CALL impacts practically all aspects of the learning process that giving lessons without it is like shortchanging both the learner and the educator.

1. CALL promotes experiential learning that empowers students not only to become self starters but also content creators themselves.

2. CALL boosts student motivation because computers are associated with games and are considered fashionable.

3. CALL allows for the accessing of instructional materials 24/7.

4. CALL provides the infrastructure for close collaboration and cooperative learning.

5. CALL expands the learning environment by bringing in resources from the World Wide Web.

6. CALL promotes global understanding.

To use CALL in the language classroom is to embrace the future of holistic language education. Hardly designed to replace teachers, CALL nonetheless provides new and richer opportunities for learning English. In addition, CALL is already redefining the roles of language educators and students such that ESL/EFL teachers are not just sources of information but knowledge facilitators who guide students on how to proactively assess and build on the information shared with them. Meanwhile, students take on a more active role as content creators instead of merely just content recipients.