Aligning CALL with the Theory and Practice of Instructed SLA

Abstract

With the availability of a wide range of information technologies in the 21st century, the second language (L2) classroom has by and large been transformed digitally. Such technological tools include, but are not limited to, authoring software and blogs, learning management systems (LMSs), online real-time texting via instant messengers (IMs) like Google Talk, audio-and video-conferencing through Skype, artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent systems, speech recognition and pronunciation training technologies, mobile technologies, and even web-based social networking interfaces like Facebook and Google Plus. In a sense, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) seems to have brought about abundant opportunities for innovation and creativity vis-à-vis the language acquisition process. During the course of acquiring an L2, in particular, instructed learners are faced with the challenge of processing instructional input (e.g., from textbooks) and modified input (e.g., corrective feedback through teacher-learner interaction) for the underlying form-meaning-function relations of any linguistic structure of the target language (TL). In order to fully capitalize from this technology craze, therefore, it is essential that the properties and strengths of these technologies be thoroughly studied in ways that would bring their applications in spirit with the core theoretical underpinnings and principles of practice in instructed second language acquisition (SLA) and its related research.

Keywords

• Second language acquisition
• SLA
• Telematics
• Language
• Computer assisted instruction
• Education
• English langauge
• Learning management systems
• LMS
• L2
• Instant messengers
• IMs
• Artificial intelligence
• AI
• Applied linguistics