History of CALL

CALL is the shortened form of Computer Assisted Language Learning. Call is widely used for the part of the learning that computer takes place. As it is the era of technology and most specifically computer we can not think of language learning without computer. For language teaching it has been used for more than 40 years.
In broad sense call has two functions: one is tutor and the second is tool. In tutor use computer has a teaching function like online grammar exercises; for tool use computer has no teaching function ; for example if you use a word processor in one of your language learning activity you are using computer as a tool.
There are three stages of CALL: Behaviouristic CALL, Communicative CALL and Integrative CALL.
Behaviouristic CALL: This stage is the first form of CALL used in 1960’s and 1970’s.As we understand from its name it was based on behaviouristic model of language learning. The programs in this stage are mostly repetitive language and drill & practice. This stage is an example of the tutor function of computers.
Communicative CALL: In 1970’s communicative CALL emerged as a reaction to behaviouristic CALL. The proponents of this stage state that CALL should focus on using forms not the forms themselves. They said grammar should not be taught explicitly and students should be able to generate new structures. In this stage the computer is functioning as tutor but the students has much more control on it.
Integrative CALL: This is the last stage of CALL. Teachers quitted communicative CALL as it was unplanned and had no contribution to central elements. So the teachers moved to a socio-cognitive view that stresses on using language in an authentic context. It integrates all of the skills of language learning and technology in language teaching .
To sum up computer can be used in various ways in language teaching & learning .It is a tutor and tool according to the way you are using it. Everyone who uses computer technology will be able to improve the educational program and the learning opportunity of the students.






Online communities of practice
Community of practice is groups of people that come together to learn from each other and share the things they have in their minds. These people have a common interest and they come together to share problems, experiences, practices so on. Their utmost intention is to foster their own learning.
Online communities are the group of people who share their feeling experiences, problems etc. via internet. As organizations become geographically distributed the demand to expand the scope of communities of practice (COP), people moved to online communities. The common interest in online technologies let the people to search new strategies for online teaching and using tools such as skype, blogs, videos etc.
Instead of participating in concrete communities they prefer to be in groups via internet as in the normal type of community they will not be able to know new people because it has a limited area; but via internet they can meet new people they can look from the view of the other people who are in different parts of the world. They share their feeling; they ask questions and so on.