This paper explores the potential and limitations of Grammatik 5 as a tool for revising writing, particularly as a grammar checker and adviser. It will examine the proposition that writing strategies can be enhanced when the program is 'tuned' to suit a group of ESL writers, with grammar rules and advice written to meet the learner's specific needs.

The rules and advice designed by the authors for Grammatik 5 have been chosen and written on the basis of an analysis of errors in a corpus of learner scripts within the academic genre of essay writing. The corpus contains a set of 28 essays written by 4 students over a period of 14 weeks in a university course designed to develop ESL students' writing skills.

In the role of corrector the computer has to be unfailingly accurate. If, on the other hand, the computer is cast in the role of tool, to simply identify elements of the language to the learner, the shortcomings of the computer as infallible assessor can be avoided. This role is a more appropriate one given the complexities of evaluating written work and limitations in the capacity of the current generation of computer programs to correct reliably.

A basic assumption of the paper is that the goal in using a grammar checker in this way is to extend the learners' capacity to review their written drafts and develop a critical approach to the writing process. While grammar checkers and advisers are not infallible in their analyses of English sentences, good use can be made of commercial programs when they are adapted appropriately.

The Horwood Language Centre at the University of Melbourne has recently installed a large Macintosh multimedia laboratory, dedicated to the learning of languages. This has proved an enormously popular facility, both for teachers and students. After only four months of operation, booking requests by teachers for the second semester of 1993 have exceeded capacity by one and a half times; students often queue to use the machines when the laboratory is open for self access.

When the Language Centre began assembling the original submission to the University for funding for the laboratory, Centre staff were still relatively inexperienced in the design and installation of CALL laboratories, and the decision was taken to make extensive use of experts in FT and multimedia presentation within Melbourne University. However, despite this expert assistance, a number of unexpected problems presented themselves, some of which were potentially disastrous to the project.

As a result, the Language Centre has learned a number of valuable lessons about CALL laboratory design. This paper presents some of the more important of these lessons, in the hope that they will be of assistance to any other institutions who may be contemplating the installation of a CALL laboratory in the near future.

This paper explores the impact of multimedia audio delivery and recording as a tool in language learning, in comparison with traditional technology. It traces the development of the field, and the experience of MLS Ltd. Two general approaches have evolved: Language Practice and Interactive Communication. These are described, with examples and observations on each type. The paper concludes with feedback and lessons learned from field studies, and pointers to potential future developments.

The Jean de I'Ours project explores the use of pictures and authentic (non pedagogical) language in foreign language learning/teaching. This project is based on the assumption that pictures can be used in a cognitive way, that they are more than mere entertainment, and that pictures used for communication in language teaching/learning should be more than mere pictograms.

Montevidisco is an interactive videodisc application intended for intermediate Spanish students. It combines language enrichment with elements of role-playing games as the student plays the role of someone visiting a hypothetical city in Mexico, interacting with native Spanish speakers in native situations via videodisc. The concept originated at Brigham Young University in the early eighties, with the video filming done at that time. More recently, the BYU Humanities Research Center has adapted the original material to run on standard microcomputer platforms.

There are three implementations of Montevidisco in various stages of development. The first is a side-by-side version that uses a HyperCard stack on a Macintosh to control a separate videodisc player and monitor. The second version uses a video overlay configuration with ToolBook and Windows on an IBM platform. Both of these versions are 'finished' to the extent that they are being used in intermediate Spanish classes at BYU and elsewhere. General marketing arrangements are expected to be finalized this summer. The most recent implementation uses QuickTime on a Macintosh to display digitized video directly from the computer's hard disk.

This paper begins with an explanation of the general features of Montevidisco that are common to all three implementations. It outlines some of the design considerations faced and explains how the choice of metaphor influenced those decisions. Some questions that have been raised during the testing and review process are also addressed. The paper then categorizes the significant differences between the three implementations and discusses the technological and pedagogical reasons for them. It concludes with a status report on the QuickTime version and gives an assessment of this new digital video technology in an instructional environment.

Computer conferencing is a mode of communication in which participants send text messages between each others' computers which are all linked to a host computer via telephone lines. It is different from email in that it uses software that allows genuine group interaction. It is used for administrative purposes, for information exchange, for informal group interaction, and for distance education in which it can be combined with other media, e.g. face-to-face, satellite broadcasting, videoconferencing, ordinary correspondence, telephone contact, etc. The great benefit of computer conferencing for distance education is that it can be accessed at any time that is convenient to participants, since it need not be used for synchronous conferencing and the relevant files remain open to users for 24 hours of every day. It thus brings learners into frequent contact with each other as well as with their tutors and obviates, to a large extent, the need for cumbersome distance materials.

Research articles on CALL frequently proceed from the general to the specific. The general can take the form of a survey of the literature, a theory or theories of language teaching, learning or acquisition, or a summarised appraisal of a number of pieces of software; the specific is usually a collection of examples from a variety of sources to illustrate a principle. The merits of such an approach are widely recognised and are in no way disputed by the present writer. It is easy, however, for lack of attention to detail to leave the reader with many unanswered questions: Wouldn't it be alright to include/omit a given feature if… or if…? How did they come up with that technique? Why did/didn't they present the information this way? Exactly who was this designed for? How and when was it intended to be used? What constraints were they working under? In this article we have chosen to proceed in the opposite direction and trace the processes involved in developing one piece of software.

In this paper the application of the techniques of Computer Assisted Language Learning to aspects of pronunciation will be considered. The problems of such application will be discussed and will be seen to be serious; some products will be described; the prospects for future applications will be viewed and will be seen to be far from bleak. Although the paper addresses the situation in The Netherlands, it is hoped that it will be relevant for practitioners in other countries.

This article reports on aspects of an investigation into learners' approaches to vocabulary learning that was carried out as part of an experimental project integrating CALL into an ESL (English as a Second Language)/computer training course. Data from two of the learners is presented, and contrasting ‘deep’ and ‘surface’ approaches are identified. The link between approach and learning outcome is demonstrated. The importance of qualitative analysis of learning processes, and the possible contribution of CALL to this kind of analysis, is discussed.

Many factors affect the learning of a foreign language. When designing computer assisted language learning software it is usually not sufficient to think only about creating an exercise in the language, but students should be modelled in order to allow the program to take account of individuals' beliefs and learning. However, student models are criticised for various reasons, the most common of which include: 1. Modelling the learner places a great burden on the system, as it has sole responsibility for the creation of an accurate student model. 2. Student models are inadequate because it is not possible to model all aspects of a student's knowledge and learning. This paper describes the student model of an intelligent computer assisted language learning (ICALL) system which strives to overcome problems of traditional student models by taking into account issues important in the field of second language acquisition, and research in collaborative approaches to learning.

The Scandinavian countries are generally considered to have rather high standards in modern language teaching and learning, and at the same time to be reasonably well equipped with computers, videos and other information technology tools. This is true to a certain extent. Moreover, the situation differs a lot, not just from country to country, but within the same country from region to region. The following is not a complete survey, presenting the ‘state-of-the-art’ in the Nordic countries, but more a report of a number of initiatives taking place at the moment in the various countries or in a collaboration among countries.

This paper reports action research into the use of electronic mail as a channel for giving feedback to English L2 writers in a sequence of writing process oriented technical communication courses. Four teachers used electronic mail feedback (EMF) regularly with 81 students on honours degree courses In information Systems and Computer Science. Electronic mail was used during planning and drafting stages in extended simulations of technical communication situations in concert with class meetings, workshop sessions, one-on-one and small group conference and with audiotaped summative feedback upon completion of major assignments.

Teachers and students reported in response to a questionnaire and in interviews that they found EMF significantly advantageous in that it supports prompt, complete, and instrumental commentary on student work, empowers students to use English for authentic communication, and helps build positive relationships between students and native speaking teachers. All participants agreed that the extra channel of communication contributed to students' motivation to use invention techniques freely, to take risks with language and style in drafting, and to make substantive changes to text in drafting. Students reported that the objectivity of EMF was face saving, allowing them to use critical commentary from their teachers more productively. They also said that they found their teachers' use of EMF was a powerful demonstration of their willingness to make themselves available as mentors to their students.