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What factors influence the development of language learning using the computer more than 50 years?
The use of technology to teach language actually supports the 21st Century Learning approach, as well as Education 4.0 that follows the Industrialization 4.0 in which learning becomes more integrative and interactive. Technology changes as the world advance to a new era. Learning with the use of a computer is interactive because students not only can interact with their peers but also the computers through games and quizzes which enable the students to have greater control and power on their own learning. Due to its student-centered style, students will be more open-minded as they no longer being restricted in traditional classroom’s routines. One of the example is Smart Classrooms. Other factors for this development are to complement the students who generally consist of the Y and Z generation or the digital citizens who due to the advancement of technologies, Internet, language applications, as well as Web 2.0, they are constantly being exposed and use these in their everyday life. For a more effective language learning, integration of technologies should be included in classroom lessons. Besides that, since the students will be the future citizens and employees or employers after their education has finished, the working sector require for ICT skills alongside the language skills for communicative, administrative, education and many other purposes so that the workers and people, in general, will develop in a holistic manner. This also will increase employability and give chances for lifelong learning to occur in an interesting manner. Aside from these, the development of language learning also occurs in parallel to three main concepts of Computer Assisted Language Learning of Behaviouristic, Communicative and also Integrative, in which some of their explanations could relate to the previous factors. In the early days, Behaviouristic spurred the computer and language integration in education aspect, as the bigger contents were divided into smaller parts whereby drilling practices were done until the learners achieve mastery before they can progress to another level which was a good technique. Additionally, with the positive motivations such as using educational games and negative motivations through punishments; educational punishments, immediate non-judgemental feedbacks from their chosen answers, the students will be more enthusiastic in learning the language but the teachers must not make drilling as too common. If not, the students will be less enthusiastic. However, we cannot deny that using computer actually make learning more flexible which supports the 21st Century teaching and learning as stated earlier. The advancement of CALL moved towards another factor which is Communicative, whereby students have to use the language in different contexts and locations, with implicit grammar teaching, in which computers acted as not only language tutors, but also the stimulus that triggers the students’ critical thinking, as well as the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) such as evaluating, analysing and creating. In a way, interactions were emphasized in accordance with the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach that based on learning by doing. Plus, the learners retain language knowledge better. In a way, both behaviouristic and communicative CALL integrated the top-down and bottom-up in language teaching and learning that are learning in the wider aspect of knowledge before it was narrowed down, as well as learning the specific components of language before moving up to the greater components. Sims City, Bookwork Adventures and also other Simulation Games of managing farms, building towns and even solving crimes, are some of the samples of games. Students have the abilities to monitor their own learning and use the tools from the computer, such as Microsoft Applications to enhance their language learning. With the development of CD-ROMs and other multimedia access that lead to wider range of authentic resources of real-world contexts, they allow for the Integration CALL to be assimilated in language learners’ education as they involve all four main language skills while at the same time allows for worldwide interactions in online platform whereby e-mail can also be used, as well as multi-chat application like WhatsApp and Yahoo!. Students can also try to sign up in Pen Pal World or interact in forums in Dave's ESL Cafe. They can be considered as collaborative and cooperative learning approaches. These also reveal another factor of flexibility as learners and also teachers can teach and learn outside of classroom settings and at their own time regardless of the presence of Internet connection. Although, if they have that, it would be better. Students sometimes go to McDonald's outlets to do their works or discussions. All in all, all of the factors actually have the main theme of lowering the affective filters that hinder effective language learning, especially for the shy and introvert students. Therefore, these interesting experiences that differ from the conventional teaching and learning methods, can capture students’ interest and enhance their motivation to learn and use the language.
Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. New York, NY: Longmans, Green.
