In this paper, it will be argued that the complexity of the language learning phenomenon has been overshadowed by the technical and organisational issues raised by the increase of physical distance between learners and teachers.

The production of any language teaching course involves complex issues which, in the normal commissioning process, would be led by professional linguists and driven by their decisions. In the case of distance teaching materials at the Open University, teams comprising academics from a number of specialisms are involved. The language writers work alongside researchers, specialists in educational technology and other experts in distance education.

The Open University, having just completed its first 25 years, finds itself at an electronic crossroads. In one direction the electronic superhighway and satellite communication stretch forth into the stratosphere of future time. In another, straight ahead, is the well-trodden path of mixed-media open learning, tried, tested and refined over many years. To what extent is it possible to surf on the first with route maps from the second? Are learners at home willing or well-enough equipped to consider scaling new horizons via CD-ROMs, or on-line learning technologies in place of print, audio-cassette and video? What new methodology, if any, needs to be developed to assist this transition?

Distance learning can be a lonely business. Distance language learning even more so. Context and communication can be substantially diminished, or completely lost, in the distance learner's world. For the distance language learner this can mean an impoverished learning environment in which (s)he will often founder.

In this paper I will argue that learner variation in second language acquisition poses a potentially serious problem for the successful design and application of CALL and ICALL software'. Whereas a teacher is able to use direct and immediate feedback from students to adapt to different learning styles, rates of progress and acquisition paths, the possibilities of computer software are much more limited.

Recently the NCET (National Council for Educational Technology) published a survey of the results of various studies on the evaluation and effectiveness of computer assisted teaching in Great Britain.1 This survey lists several positive effects of computer assisted teaching in a wide variety of educational applications. These range from increased motivation and eagerness to learn by disturbed or handicapped children to an increase in the performance of good learners by e.g. training analytic and divergent thinking.

The Robert Electronique is the CD-ROM version of the nine volume Grand Robert, roughly the French equivalent of the OED. This article outlines a project to produce some learning materials using this lexical database. It describes various types of exercises ranging from the semantic to the stylistic. Most of the exercises can be completed on screen within a wordprocessing application and can be done by a student working independently. The activities exploit as far as possible features specific to the CD-ROM version of the dictionary.