A Retrospective Overview of CALL

Bax (2003) argues that an in-depth analysis of how CALL was used in the past and how it is used today is necessary to devise “an agenda” for its future use. In 1986, the TESOL Quarterly published its first article related to the effectiveness of CALL in second language instruction. In a study conducted with Arabic and Spanish speaking students enrolled in an intensive ESL program, Chappelle and Jamieson (1986) asked direct questions and looked empirically at important variables such as learner attitudes towards CALL and educational gains attained as a result of using computers for language acquisition. One of the main findings of this study was that learners’ attitude towards CALL had a significant impact on the degree of that learner’s involvement and commitment to using the computer as a learning instrument. The research concludes that cognitive/affective characteristics of the learner directly impact the nature of his/her interaction with CALL. Therefore, in order to effectively judge the effectiveness of CALL within a specific context, it is important to look at the student variable as a critical element in this formula.
Warschauer (2000) distinguishes between three types of CALL. Structural CALL (1970’s-1980’s), Communicative CALL (1980’s-1990’s) and Integrative CALL (21st century) (See Table 1). He argues that “Structural CALL” used what is considered today obsolete technology, as well as a Grammar-Translation and Audio Lingual teaching approach that emphasized drills and repetition in order to achieve accuracy. “Communicative CALL”, he claims, used modern computers and focused on communicative tasks to achieve fluency, but within a narrow context that fails to address the value of content in communication. The alternative, he believes, is 21st century “Integrative CALL”, which embraces all the positive qualities of Communicative CALL, but highlights the importance of content as an essential aspect of interaction. In addition, Warschauer’s Integrative CALL stresses the importance of authentic discourse and learner agency as critical elements for successful application of technology.