This paper argues that CALL practitioners need to remain constantly aware of the political context in which they operate, so that they can the better exploit opportunities to win funding, gain status for their activities and generally succeed more often in the prime aim of enhancing the practice of language learning. It seeks to situate EUROCALL's own activity as an organisation at an important point of convergence in the global context. It concludes with some quasi political advice both for individuals and for the organisation as a whole.

Dans le tout recent ouvrage New Technologies for learning: contribution of ICT to innovation in education, les auteurs rapprochent les merveilles multimédiatiques du mythe de Sisyphe:

“In the history of education the introduction of any new technological tool was accompanied with high expectations regarding its innovating power for learning and instruction. After a period of sporadic use, and some disappointment about the obtained learning outcomes, the arrival of any new technological tool generated a new set of expectations, limited use and resulting frustration. This is what we call the ‘Myth of Sisyphus’, the king of Corinth condemned for ever to roll his stone up a mountain in Hades only to have it roll down again when he neared the top.” (Dillemans, et al. 1998:41).

Experience in developing multimedia programs has found that reliance on commercial developers does not always produce suitable material in terms of pedagogic quality, whereas training content writers as programmers is costly. This paper examines attempts to solve this and illustrates important recent initiatives. The Open University is developing flexible activity-type shells which are content independent. This is matched by an object-oriented approach to the program itself for maximum re-usability. The MALTED project addresses the problem by providing sophisticated authoring tools, but also sets up an asset base to make available re-usable language resources, helping to avoid re-invention of too many wheels.

This paper discusses the findings of an extensive survey of approaches to language teaching and learning via the WWW. Its aim was to find exemplars of best practice in stand-alone courses, integrated mixed-model courses (Web/CD-ROM/face-to-face), and interactive exercises for the development of all four language learning skills. The findings suggest that, in some languages, resources are already so plentiful that it would be more economical to integrate the best of them into existing courses and to focus energies on global co-operation in the production of new high quality materials.

This paper examines the range of different factors which in our experience contribute to student resistance to the use of computers for language learning. These problems relate to aspects of the computing environment, social and psychological factors and issues relating to the curriculum and teaching methods. We have made basic suggestions about ways of overcoming these resistances. However our principal finding is that the most effective and coherent way of fostering student adoption of CALL is to develop a computer based learning environment, which draws on the success of communications software and the Internet, based on the computer conferencing program First Class.

The Internet offers a wealth of information and unlimited resources that teachers can use in order to expose students to authentic language use. Exposure, however, is not enough to trigger language acquisition. Students need to be involved in tasks that integrate the use of computers and enhance language acquisition. This paper outlines an instructional system designed to guide English as a Second Language (ESL) students through their exploration of the Internet and carry out projects that will ultimately help them improve their reading and writing skills and enrich their vocabulary. Through this instructional system the benefits of using the Internet for ESL purposes with different types of students in different educational environments can be maximised.

This paper looks at the design of a computing course for modern languages students. The goals of this course are to raise the level of IT skills with which modern languages students typically enter higher education; to ensure that students gain the maximum benefit and enjoyment from their programme of study; and to equip students with valuable transferable skills appropriate for a modern languages graduate of the twenty-first century. The rationable behind the key decisions affecting the design of the course is explained and practical suggestions for teaching the major topics are given. Particular attention is given to the sensitive issue of assessment which can have a powerful influence on student motivation.

Language learning should be enhanced by information and communication technology (ICT). This article describe a foundation-year curriculum for future language teachers. In this curriculum the training in the use of information and communication technology tools was integrated with language learning and language teaching methodology. A learning environment ‘Professional Skills’ is described as well as the database applications ‘Wordbook’ and ‘Reading file’. Data of a summative evaluation are presented.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of a computer mediated curriculum in the instruction of advanced written academic communication skills in a non-immersion situation. While previous studies have focused upon collaborative writing within a computer networked environment (Gregor & Cuskelfy 1994), the use of computer-tutorial programs (Warschauer, Turbee & Roberts 1996), or the additive effects of supplemental computer-based instruction (Chun 1994), the present study dealt with the implementation of a fully computer based EFL writing curriculum through the use of authentic electronic computer programs. The following research questions were posed at the outset of the study:

1. To what extent does the use of authentic tools, tasks and environment encourage communicative competence in the computer networked EFL academic writing classroom?

2. What is the effect of computer mediated instruction on teacher-student interaction, collaborative learning, and students' attitudes and motivation?

3. What are the benefits gained from a computer-assisted portfolio assessment?

The investigation design consisted of an experimental group which studied exclusively in the computerised lab and a control group which was taught in a regular classroom according to conventional teaching methods. Data collecting instruments comprised background and attitude questionnaires, on-site observations, informal interviews, and systematic evaluation and assessment. Findings indicate that authentic tools, tasks and environment are a strong motivating factor. While the compter-nelworked environment enhanced the teacher-student interaction, it diminished peer collaboration. Computer-assisted portfolio assessment appears to be advantageous to both the instructor and students.

Whereas improvements in CALL design are dependent on theories of language learning and acquisition, limitations to the former have arisen from widespread disagreements over the latter. This paper attempts to point towards a way forward using an evolutionary epistemological understanding of language learning, and some implications of such an approach for CALL. An evolutionary approach, involving trial and error elimination, requires a multi-dimensional learner-centred model that takes into account advancements in psychology, education and linguistics, areas that have often been ignored by CALL researchers and practitioners.

Dans le domaine de l'apprentissage, les attitudes et les représentations des apprenants jouent un rôle fondamental. La recherche exposée dans cet article met en évidence des différences sensibles de profil d'apprentissage chez des étudiants linguistes et non-linguistes. Elle montre également que les représentations de I'apprentissage des langues et celles des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (TIC) chez ces deux populations sont bel et bien des représentations sociales, qui montrent un remarquable recouvrement entre les deux domaines étudiés. Enfin, une étude longitudinale d'un échantillon de la population étudiée montre que les profils d'apprentissage et les représentations sont susceptibles d'évolution. La question reste posée de I'influence de I'environment multimédia d'apprentissage de la langue sur cette évolution constatée.

A multimedia learning environment would appear to benefit from an intelligent tutoring system that draws on didactic expertise, knowledge of the program structure, and knowledge of the learner's previous activities. On the other hand, one may argue against a tutor because of the damaging effects on learner autonomy: the tutor may hamper genuine learning by taking the learner by the hand, whereas what the learner needs is to have sufficient space to move freely through material in an explorative rather than an executive mode, generating her own queries and finding her own solutions. It is argued that tutoring may be a necessary stage on the road to autonomy.

This paper sketches the place and function of grammar in the context of language learning in general and attempts to show the relevance and usefulness of these formal concepts of grammar to Computer-Assisted Language Learning in particular. The approach to grammar described here will be illustrated through a brief discussion of a grammar checker for English learners of German, ‘Textana’, which is being developed at UMIST.

This article discusses strategies for creating a supportive grammar learning environment, which have been implemented in CALL packages for Dutch. They stem from recent advances in cognitive psychology and cognitive linguistics, as well as our own experience. The basic metaphor behind our conception of the ideal CALL package is that of a toolbox rather than a set of instructions. Users select a tool from a range of available instruments because they think it is the one that suits their purpose best. Different learners may pick out different tools and use them in different ways, even if their goals are the same.

This paper reports on the experimental use of a broadband computer network hypermedia environment for language learning (French, English and Spanish). Using Web-based resources, students engage in a collaborative task over a network which offers high quality video-conferencing, application sharing and access to authentic multimedia resources. One of the main aims was to establish the practicalities of providing learners of languages with opportunities to engage in reciprocal peer tutoring. After outlining the pedagogical assumptions, and describing the set-up of the network-based learning environment, the trials are analysed, and the effectiveness of network-based language learning in supporting collaborative learning is discussed.