A Study Of Computer-assisted Language Learning In A Chinese Tertiary College

This thesis is a study of the current application of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in a tertiary college in China.Changing technology has changed the nature of many jobs including the ways of teaching. Teachers need to keep up with the latest development in technology. Not only abroad, but also in China, various strands of research have proved the effectiveness of CALL and the numerous benefits teachers and students have gained from the new teaching modes derived from the new technology. However, it is still not clear how CALL is carried out in some tertiary colleges in China, which were set up mostly at the beginning of the 21^st century.By conducting a survey of 376 undergraduate students and 30 college English teachers, the present study attempts to explore the normalization of CALL in a Chinese tertiary college, the difficulties students and teachers have encountered and the possible solutions to those existing problems. Findings from the survey show that students prefer a combination of CALL with the traditional teaching methods. What is queer is that most of the student respondents do not have a clear understanding of what CALL really is and they do not have easy access to computers and network on the campus. As for teachers, heavy workload constitutes the largest barrier in implementation CALL in EFL; the discrepancy between software designers and teachers is also a tough nut to crack. An analysis of the questionnaires suggests that more administrative support is necessary. And teachers need more training to apply new technology to their teaching to meet the needs of students and demands of the ever-changing society.