COMPUTER-ASSISSTED LANGUAGE LEARNING

In short, the previous survey has clearly pointed out the fact that the questiontag intonation used by the speaker has a substantial effect on the meaning of what is said. As ELLIS explains in the section devoted to “How Explicit Knowledge Affects Implicit Language Learning” of his Studies in Second Language Acquisition: “Instruction needs to ensure that learners are able to connect grammatical forms to meanings they realize in communication.” (ELLIS, 2005). Therefore, the teaching and learning of question tag intonation should be considered as a part and parcel of those of the grammatical questionResearchers have worked hard to settle new methods in order to keep the students’ interest and motivation in learning. Among others, C.A.L.L. or Computer-Assisted Language Learning is a student-centred method which has been introduced ever since the.

COMPUTER-ASSISSTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (C.A.L.L.):

We shall attempt to define the term “computer” in the following few paragraphsThe Dictionary of Information Technology refers to a computer as “amachine that receives or stores or processes data very quickly according to a stored program.” (COLLIN, 1987). This definition suggests that only the computer program can make the computer work. In other words, the computer program, that is a complete set of instructions fed into the computer, directs it to carry out a particular piece of work. Therefore, first, the computer is given instructions and information (input); then its central processing unit obeys the instructions to get a result from theinformation (output) (JONES, 1986). Moreover, a computer can find, treat, store and arrange information, as well as calculate amounts and control other machines at the same time. Besides, a computer can solve some problems faster than people can. Hence, this speed in solving problems helps people become more efficient or do more work in less time.

As opposed to that, Software refers to any program or group of programs which instructs the hardware on how it should perform its task, including operating systems, word processors and application programs. Indeed, the computer software includes the instructions which control what a computer does. (Cambridge International Dictionary of English, 1995). Computers cannot operate without these programs. To know how to use a piece of software, the user can refer to an instruction manual which gives information that describes the function, use and operation of a piece of software.All computers, no matter the size, work in the same basic way. As a matterof fact, the easiest way to understand how a computer works is to think of it as a system. First, the computer should be given instructions and information called“programs” which are written in a language that the computer understands. Then, the central processing unit obeys the instructions to get a result from the information.

How to write a computer program?

It is possible to write one’s own program i.e. a list of instructions that is fedinto the computer. Each program instructs the computer to perform a particular task. To write a computer program, every step in the task that the computer has to perform must be taken into account. The program must be told exactly what to do; otherwise it will not work correctly. The diagram that shows all the steps needed in a programlanguages include notably BASIC, PASCAL, TURBOPASCAL, COBOL, FORTRAN, C++, Actionscript, HTML, etc. Once written, the program must be tested in the computer. In case there are any problems, the errors in the program mustbe corrected at once. The main purpose of this process which is called “debugging” is to make sure that the program will perform as intended. Therefore, programming requires logic, imagination, accuracy and patience.As the computer is a machine that can accomplish various tasks in a short time and because the use of computer is widespread in many fields, it carries great potential for educational use as well. More specifically, its implementation in language teaching and learning is, then, worth considering. The following section will be devoted to the use of computers as didactic materials, hence the concept of Computer-Assisted Language Learning.