Communicative CALL: Second Language Acquisition

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 INTRODUCTION

An attempt has been made to use CALL and CALT .Second language acquisition depends mainly on the individual learning motivation, memory and the difficulties faced due to psychological and individual background. The use of computers in language teaching and research started under such circumstances because the computer has the capacity for storage, retrieval and monitoring of huge data, it has become an ideal processing tool for most language teaching and research activities in English throughout the world. Language skills are learned more effectively if the items to be learned are in the target language and presented in the spoken form before they are seen in the written form.

2.2 HISTORICAL

This approach felt that the drill and practice programs of the previous decade did not allow enough communication to be of much value. One of the main advocates of this new approach was John Underwood, who in 1984 proposed a series of “Premises for ‘Communicative’ CALL” Underwood (1984). According to Underwood, Communicative CALL focuses on using forms rather than the forms themselves; teaches grammar implicitly rather than explicitly; allows and encourages students to generate original. utterances rather than just manipulate prefabricated language; does not judge and evaluate everything the students do nor reward them with congratulatory messages; avoids telling students they are wrong and is flexible to a variety of student responses; and uses the target language exclusively and creates an environment in which using the target language feels natural, both on and the screen. Several types of CALL programs were developed and used during this phase communicative CALL. First, there were varieties of programs to provide skill practice, but in non-drill format. Examples of these types of programs include courseware for pace reading, text reconstruction, and language games Healey and Johnson (1995). In these programs, like the drill and practice programs mentioned above, the computer remains the "knower-of-the-right-answer Taylor and Perez (1989); thus this

By using CALL method the students will not only learn more number of words but also the usage of those words as well. CALL method is that they can do the entire study skill activity at their own pace and time using their own learning styles and strategies. Also, integrating Call with language teaching provides the learner with an opportunity to become part of the skills. Students learn and address their subject related topics through the study skills approach. CALL method of learning is commenced at the tertiary level, the learners will carry on the exercise of study skills approach and achieve distinctive mastery in their subjects when they come to do their further semesters. The computer is a means of communication between the programmer and the user. The author and the programmer do not mostly share like concerns. While the author is bound to be a subject expert, the programmer is mostly a technician. This gap between the author and the programmer is responsible for inappropriate lesson content, poor documentation, errors in format and content, improper feedback, etc. found in some CALL materials. Most of the software packages, there is little chance for the teacher to add or change the existing programs, even if he wishes too, because most of it is locked to prevent pirating. And for the few, who develop their own material, the time spent on preparation and programming can