Content analysis of some selected Computer-Assisted Language Learning courseware and recommendations for ESL/FL instructors

The abundance of multimedia language courseware on the market and the confusion felt by language instructors about how to integrate programs in their curriculum prompted this research effort. The first objective was to compile a set of criteria for the content analysis of three major multimedia interactive language courseware packages. The language courseware packages evaluated were Ellis, Nova City and Russian Tutor I, all Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) programs. The criteria allowed for an evaluation of the environment of the language courseware, which is often neglected or ignored. The second objective of the study was to conduct the content analysis of these three programs with a perspective of modern second language and foreign language acquisition theories in mind. Lastly, a structured interview questionnaire was used to elicit teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of these programs with respect to the criteria established for "effective" multimedia interactive CALL. The structured interview was designed with the same set of criteria as the content analysis for ease of comparison. The findings were used to provide some recommendations for language instructors about what effective language pedagogy principles and strategies for teaching/learning second language acquisition using CD-ROM and Interactive Video Disks they might use to guide the development and implementation of technology for language learning.; Valuable recommendations were elicited from the evaluation of the programs' strengths, weaknesses, and potential. The first set of recommendations presented an overview of essential pedagogical methods for second language acquisition. The second set suggested ways to apply the principles that were presented using CD-ROM and Interactive Video Disks. The third set introduced some essential principles of instructional design with CD-ROM and IVD in CALL. The fourth set stressed the importance of the choice of the criteria as language instructors and instructional technologists go about the task of evaluating CALL programs. Finally, the last set of recommendations presented ways for a better integration of CALL in the curriculum and suggestions for future research studies. An outcome of this study was the development of an instrument that proved successful in completing content analysis for multimedia language programs.