Unit 3: Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

Activity 1: Evolution of CALL

Read page 3 of this book chapter.

When you are ready, work in pairs. Identify examples to illustrate the meaning of the following terms:

1. pre-CALL: the period before Computer-Assisted Language Learning
2. EFL: English as a Foreign Language
3. CALL: Computer-Assisted Language Learning
4. MALL: Mobile-assisted Language Learning
5. BYOD: Bring Your Own Device

Activity 2: Creating a CALL activity

Watch a live demonstration of of different practice activities for vocabulary/grammar.

Here are some common types of practice activites.

1. Drills : Drills are repetitive exercises that focus on specific grammar structures. They can be oral or written and typically involve simple transformation, substitution, or translation tasks.
2. Sentence transformation: This requires learners to rephrase or rewrite sentences without changing their meaning, while focusing on a specific language point.
3. Error correction: This activity involves identifying and correcting grammar mistakes in a given text or set of sentences.
4. Guided discovery: Learners analyze examples of a grammar point and infer the rules governing its use. They then apply these rules to new sentences or contexts.
5. Communicative activities: These are tasks or games that require learners to use the target grammar point in real-life or authentic communication situations.

Discuss which of these practice activities were used in the live demonstration.

Activity 3: Theory and practice

Read each of the activities below. Identify the type of practice activity. Decide which learning theory (or theories) and language learning approach (or approaches) each practice activity is based on.

• Activity 1: In pairs, take turns describing the contents of a hypothetical refrigerator. Use "There is" and "There are" appropriately to indicate the presence of different food items. For example:
  1. There is an apple and a banana.
  2. There are three carrots and a head of lettuce.
• Activity 2: Analyze these sentences and determine the rule for using "is" and "are" with singular and plural nouns.
  1. There is a cat.
  2. There are two dogs.
  3. There is a bird.
  Based on the rule you inferred, use the correct form of "to be" in the following sentences:
  1. There ___ an apple
  2. There ___ an apple and a banana.
  3. There ___ two apples and a banana.
• Activity 3: Correct the errors in the following sentences.
  1. There are an apple and a banana.
  2. There is five oranges and a pineapple.
  3. There are a watermelon.
• Activity 4: Rewrite the following sentences using "There is/are".
1. An apple and a banana exist.
2. Five strawberries and a kiwi can be found.
3. A grapefruit and three plums can be seen.

Activity 4: Creating a web-based practice activity

You are going to make an activity that will be integrated into a course held in the following quarter. The course is designed to help students write in a reader-friendly manner. Your remit is to create interactive practice activities for elementary learners of English learning to use "there is/are". Your work will be incorporated into this Unit.

Work in pairs. Create a controlled practice, freer practice or free practice activity. Incorporate a feedback loop. Submit your work via ELMS.

1. Controlled practice limits learner choice to the items you select.
2. Freer practice is designed to elicit the items you expect.
3. Free practice provides learners with space to use any language.

When developing the activities ensure that you do the following:

1. HTML Use the same format as the course website
2. W3CSS Use the behaviour features built-in w3.css where possible.
3. CITE Credit any sources (e.g. ChatGPT) that you use.
4. DIV Start each activity with a new division.

Activity 5: Tutorial for W3.CSS

Check out the features in W3.CSS on this tutorial page.

Activity 6: Evaluation of practice activities

Try out the student-created activities below. Discuss your ideas on how each activity can be improved.

Activity 6A: Student-created writing activity

Let's try to introduce Fukushima to your friend.

Activity 6B: Student-created Error Correction

Select the correct one from the following sentence:

Activity 6C: Student-created listening activity

Listen to the audio clip and follow its instructions. Wording of clip was generated by ChatGPT-4 and modified.

Activity 6D: Student-created interactive reading activity

Click to show an example answer. Hover over underlined sections for explanations. Text was generated by ChatGPT-4 and modified.

Activity 6E: Student-created selection activity

Activity 7A: Student-created activity

Rearrange the following sentences using "There are".

• are
• a dog
• three cats
• There
• and

Incorrect...

Correct!

Activity 7B: Student-created activity

Activity 7C: Student-created selection activity