Use media player for playing songs.
English Teachers’
Barriers to the Use of CALL in University EFL Classes
Prepared by
ELT Department
January, 2005
Adana, Turkey
All rights reserved.
Abstract
The aim of this study is to identify the English teachers’ barriers to the use of computer assisted language learning in university EFL classes. Computers have been used for language teaching ever since the 1960's. This 40-year period can be divided into three main stages: behaviorist CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL. Each stage corresponds to a certain level of technology and certain pedagogical theories. Some of the reasons for using computer-assisted Language Learning are experiential learning, motivation, greater interaction, and global understanding. However, teachers have some barriers in the practice of CALL. It is expected to be important improvements in CALL, in the future. All the participants were selected from EFL teachers in Çukurova University by using the simple random sampling procedure. The data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and an informal observation.
TABLE of CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Statement of the Problem
3. Aim and Scope of the Study
4. Background of the Study
4.1. The History of CALL
4.1.1. Behaviorist CALL
4.1.2.
Communicative CALL
4.1.3. Integrative CALL
4.2. Why Use CALL?
4.2.1. Experiential Learning
4.2.2. Motivation
4.2.3. Enhanced Student Achievement
4.2.4. Authentic Materials for Study
4.2.5. Greater Interaction
4.2.6. Individualization
4.2.7. Independence from a Single Source of Information
4.2.8. Global Understanding
4.3. What Can We Do with CALL?
5. Operational Definitions
6. Methodology
6.1. Research Design
6.2. Participants
6.3. Data Collection and Instruments
6.4. Data Analysis
6.4.1. Financial Barriers
6.4.2. Barriers Related to Hardware and Software
6.4.3. System Barriers
6.4.4. Acceptance of the New Technologies
6.4.5. Lack of Technical and Theoretical Knowledge
6.4.6. Motivation and Encouragement
7. Conclusion
8. Implications
9. Suggestions
10. Assumptions and Limitations
References
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
1. Introduction
A few decades ago, there was almost no personal computer but today it seems that the personal computers will become as prevalent around the world as the TV.
In the last few years, more teachers have applied CALL and the role of the technology in education has been examined much more. The capacity of the Internet use for education has not been discovered exactly and schools provide limited use of computers. However, it is clear that we are in a new information age in which the technology and TEFL have already been related to each other (Lee, 2000).
In the early 90’s, education started being affected by the word processers in schools, colleges, and universities. A revolution was brought into the teachers’ perspective by the development of the Internet. The teaching tools offered through the Internet were gradually becoming more reliable. Nowadays, the Internet is gaining more popularity in foreign language teaching. More educators and learners are applying the Interner because people all over the world now have the potential to communicate freely and instantaneously with one another (Lee, 2000).
Hanson-Smith (1995) reports that:
The second half of the 20th century has seen the acceleration of a digital revolution that is transforming the way in which the world socializes and does business. It is called a digital revolution because information of many kinds is transformed into the digits.The Digital Revolution is changing how we spend our free time. Where education has long been controlled by schools and universities, information is now accessible by the individual at his or her own discretion; one may visit a museum in Paris, a library in Washington, and a research institute in Sydney with equal ease. (p.1)
The digital revolution is affecting an educational revolution; namely, the ways, in which computers and related equipment can be used for language learning, can support and enhance pedagogical practices through CALL.
2. Statement of the Problem
There have been lots of approaches and methods in language teaching but now we are in a technological age. The technology has been developing inevitably and I think that we have to follow it to use in every area of our lives. Although the technology has been developing and going cheaper, why do we still insist on not using it for education in Turkey? I have always wondered this point as a student-teacher. I know that there are lots of approaches whicw support computer-assisted language learning and teaching but, in Turkey, they are not easy in practice. I am sure that there are barriers to the use of CALL but what are they? Have you ever thought about those barriers? Now, I think and wonder. Because of this, I have chosen this topic to see what and how serious those barriers are.
3. Aim and Scope of the Study
The aim of this study is to identify the
English teachers’ barriers to the use of CALL in university EFL classes.
The following research question appeared in the aim of this study:
What are the English teachers’ barriers to the use of CALL in university EFL classes?
Regarding the research question given above, no hypothesis is formulated not to direct the researcher because many different results would be able to be reached in the research.
4. The Background of the Study
4.1. The History of CALL
Computers have been used for language teaching for 40 years. This 40-year period can be defined in the three main stages: behaviorist CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL. All these stages corresponds to a certain level of technology and certain pedagogical theories (Lee, 2000).
4.1.1. Behaviorist CALL
The first application to computers for language learning appeared in the behaviorist CALL stage. Lee (2000) defines the behaviorist CALL as follows:
In the 1960's and 1970's the first form of
computer-assisted Language Learning featured repetitive language drills, the
so-called drill-and-practice method. It was based on the behaviorist learning
model and as such the computer was viewed as little more than a mechanical
tutor that never grew tired. Behaviorist CALL was first designed and
implemented in the era of the mainframe and the best-known tutorial system,
PLATO, ran on its own special hardware. It was mainly used for extensive
drills, explicit grammar instruction, and translation tests. (p.1)
4.1.2.
Communicative CALL
As
a reaction to the behaviorist approach in language learning, communicative
approach appeared in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Founders of communicative CALL
refused behaviorist approach at both theoretical and pedagogical stage. They
pointed out that CALL should examine how to use forms rather than what the
forms are. Grammar should be taught in an implicit way and teachers should
encourage students to generate utterances. This type of computer-assisted
instruction is related to cognitive theories which know that learning is a
creative process of discovery, expression, and development (Lee, 2000, McGreal,
1988).
4.1.3.
Integrative CALL
The last level of CALL is
integrative stage. Communicative approach was criticizedin some aspects.
Instructors have given up the cognitive view and started to support a
socio-cognitive view which stresses an original language use in a meaningful
and authentic context. Integrative CALL aims to integrate both the skills of
language learning and the technology into the language learning process (Lee,
2000).
4.2. Why Use
CALL?
CALL may be helpful significantly for:
4.2.1.
Experiential Learning
The
Internet provides students to gain a huge amount of human experience. Students have
the chance to learn things by doing themselves. They get the ability of
creating knowledge, not just the receiving it. Because the information is
presented in many ways, users may choose whatever they want to explore (Lee,
2000).
4.2.2.
Motivation
Computers
are very popular among the students. They present students fun and games. They
are considered as fashionable. So the students’ motivation is increased because
a lot of activities are offered by computers and that provides students to feel
more independent (Lee, 2000, Skinner & Austin, 1999).
4.2.3.
Enhanced Student Achievement
Computer-based
instruction may be helpful for students to strengthen their linguistic skills
by affecting their learning attitude positively and by making them build
self-instruction strategies and increase their self-confidence (Lee, 2000,
McGreal, 1988).
4.2.4.
Authentic Materials for Study
Computers
and the Internet give students the chance of using authentic reading materials
everywhere, either at school or at home. They can reach those materials 24
hours a day; namely, whenever they want. Moreover, that has a very low cost
(Hanson-Smith, 1995, Lee, 2000).
4.2.5.
Grater Interaction
Lee (2000) says that “random
Access to Web pages breaks the linear flow of instruction” (p.2). EFL students
can chat with people, they have never met, by sending e-mails or joining
chat-rooms. Furthermore, Activities, presented on Internet, gives students
positive and negative feedback by automaticallycorrecting their on-line
exercises (Lee, 2000, McGreal, 1988).
4.2.6.
Individualization
Shy students can benefit
from individualized and student-centered collabotative learning. It can also be
realized students’ full potential without preventing their peers from working
at their own pace (Hanson-Smith, 1995, Lee, 2000).
4.2.7.
Independence from a Single Source of Information
All
students can use their boks but lots of them do not have any other source of
information to use. On Internet, they can discover thousands of information
sources and get different points of view about the subject they study. So, the
Internet provides them to learn in a multicultural world (Lee, 2000).
4.2.8.
Global Understanding
All foreign languages should be studied in
their own cultural contexts. The use of the Internet has become more and more
widespread. In such a world, an English teacher should facilitate the students’
accessto the Web and maket hem feel as citizens of a global classroom (Lee,
2000).
4.3. What Can We
Do with CALL?
There
is a wide range of on-line applications on the Internet which include
dictionaries, encyclopedies, links for teachers, chat-rooms, pronunciation
tutors, grammar and vocabulary quizzes, literary extracts, games and puzzles.
All these applications are available to use in thr foreign language classes.
The Web is like a virtual library that can be accessed by everybody around the
world (Lee, 2000).
Something
that most of the students would enjoy is to communicate with electronic pen
friends. Teachers should help their students in this process. Even, two EFL
classes’ teachers can arrange their students to send e-mails to each other
regularly and share their language experiences. This is very easy to do thanks
to the Web sites providing communication (Lee, 2000).
The
uses of computers for language learning have been reshaped by the Internet.
Students have to learn how to deal with large amounts of information. The role
of the teachers has changed, too. The only source of information is not the
teachers any more. Now the teachers should act like facilitators so that the
students can easily organize the information they are given. Students have
become the active participants in learning and they should be encouraged to be
creators of language (Lee, 2000).
5. Operational Definitions
Behaviorist: Someone who believes in that the scientific study of the mind should be based only on people’s behaviors, not on what they say about their thoughts and feelings.
CALL: Computer-assisted language learning.
Cognitive: Related to the process of knowing, understanding, and learning something.
Communicative: Relating the ability to communicate, especially in a foreign language.
Digit: One of the written signs that represents the numbers 0 to 9.
EFL: English as a foreign language.
Integrative: Combining things that work well together in order to make an effective
system.
Pedagogical: Concerning teaching methods or the practice of teaching.
Socio-cognitive: Including the combination of social and cognitive conditions.
TEFL: The teaching of English as a foreign language.
Word processer: A small computer used especially for writing letters or storing information.
YADÝM: A center for research and practice of teaching foreign languages in Çukurova University.
6. Methodology
6.1. Research Design
This research was designed as a descriptive study. Self-report studies were used in this study. Questionnaries were given to the participants, there was an informal observation and there were interviews with participants about the subject.
6.2. Participants
The participants of the study were the English teachers who have taught in Çukurova University EFL classes. The reason of the Çukurova University’s selection was that it has been the only university in Adana. That the university has been in Adana made it easier to reach the participants whenever needed.
The participants would be selected through the simple random sampling because the important point was that the teachers have taught in university EFL classes, not their degree, experience or sex but, becuse there have been only two teachers who have given CALL lessons, they were chosen, Teacher A and Teacher B.
6.3. Data Collection and Instruments
Data was collected through questionnaries (see Appendix 1), an informal CALL lesson observation, and interviews (see Appendix 2 and Appendix 3). Firstly, questionnaires were given to the participants. Questionnaires included some common questions about the problems which were possible to appear as a barrier to the use of CALL.
Later, an informal CALL lesson observation took place.
After gaining some general ideas about the barriers to the use of CALL, there were interviews with the participants. Interviews were based on the barriers detailedly. All the factors that have caused the barriers were talked about detailedly in the interviews.
6.4. Data Analysis
6.4.1. Financial Barriers
|
|||||
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
Does the university administration
support you to afford the high cost of hardware for CALL? |
|
X
|
|
X |
|
|
Does the university administration support you to afford the maintenance of the equipment? |
|
|
|
X |
X |
Figure 1. A: Never, B: Sometimes, C: Usually, D: Often, E: Always
X: Teacher A, X: Teacher B
As it is seen in Figure 1, there are some financialbarriers about affording the hardware and software for CALL. Ther are some diffences in the questionnaire results of Teacher A and Teacher B. That is because Teacher A is busy only with giving CALL lessons, not with the technical dimension of it. There is almost no problem about the maintenance of the CALL equipment.
6.4.2. Barriers Related to Hardware and Software
|
|||||
|
Can you find high quality software for CALL? |
|
|
XX
|
|
|
|
Can you find high quality hardware for CALL? |
|
X |
X
|
|
|
Figure 2. A: Never, B: Sometimes, C: Usually, D: Often, E: Always
X: Teacher A, X: Teacher B
It is very clear that there is a serious problem about high quality hardware and high quality software for CALL. It is seen in Figure 2 that both of the participants can’t always find high quality hardware and high quality software for CALL.
Teacher A said that she has not thought data processing companies produces high quality software for CALL. According to her, there are only very good ones like two or three but they are not enough so teachers cannot find high quality software adequately, and altough she knows how toprepare software for CALL, she cannot prepare because she does not have enough time and it is very hard to prepare software forCALL.
Both of the participants agree that it is not hard to be able to find hardware for CALL but it is a barrier related to one’s own financing.
According to Teacher B, it is a serious problem to be able to find high quality software for CALL, as well. He said that even one can find high quality software for CALL, it can be used only during a term and later it should be updated, and again it is very expensive to update a software so he has toprepare his own software for CALL. He said that it requires a good language background and computer programming background to prepare software for CALL and so there are not sufficient high qaulity materials for CALL, avan if there are, they are very expensive because to prepare software for CALL is something like writing a coursebook.
6.4.3. System Barriers
|
|||||
|
Does your system crash? |
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Do you connect to the web in CALL practice? |
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
If you have a project partner class anywhere in the world, do you have problems with it? |
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Do you have connection problems? |
|
XX |
|
|
|
|
Do you have
virus problems? |
|
X
|
|
X |
|
|
Do you have problems with your internet server? |
|
XX |
|
|
|
Figure 3. A: Never, B: Sometimes, C: Usually, D: Often, E: Always
X: Teacher A, X: Teacher B
6.4.4. Acceptance of the New Technologies
|
|||||
|
Do you accept the new technologies in TEFL? |
|
|
|
X
|
X |
|
Can you adapt to the new technologies in TEFL? |
|
|
|
X |
X |
Figure 4. A: Never, B: Sometimes, C: Usually, D: Often, E: Always
X: Teacher A, X: Teacher B
The participants have different opinions about the acceptance of the new technologies in TEFL as it is seen in their answers. Although Teacher B says that he always accept and adapt to the new technologies in TEFL, Teacher A says that “Often”. That is really an important difference between the teachers’ opinions because it may expose the other teachers’ opinions.
According to Teacher A, many teachers have no intention to teach CALL lessons and even one teacher, who had been giving CALL lessons, do not want to teach CALL lessons anymore. She said that many teachers are not interested in computers and the etchnology and they want to teach in traditional classrooms. She related the interest for CALL to being young and open-minded, moreover, she said that most of the teachers in YADÝM are middle age and even they do not use the internet.
Teacher B said that he had opened a computer course in summer but almost none of the teachers had attended it because they did not want. According to his thoughts, at least half of the teachers are active computer and internet users but they do not want to learn how to teach CALL lessons, and how to prepare CALL materials because it is hard to learn.
There are 69 teachers in YADÝM and there are almost 25000 students in Çukurova University but there are only two teachers who teach CALL lessons. There are 32 groups in YADÝM but only 8 of them are given CALL lessons. According to the participants, allo of the groups should be given CALL lessons but many teachers do not want to be busy with it.
6.4.5. Lack of Technical and Theoretical Knowledge
|
|||||
|
Do you think that you have enough technical and theoretical knowledge for CALL? |
|
|
|
X X |
|
|
Do you think that you have enough knowledge on how to integrate the web into an EFL curriculum? |
|
|
|
X X |
|
Figure 5. A: Never, B: Sometimes, C: Usually, D: Often, E: Always
X: Teacher A, X: Teacher B
As it is seen in Figure 5, both of the participants have enough technical and theoretical knowledge for CALL but that situation is in contradiction with the answers of Teacher A about the financial barriers.
Teacher A said that she has not got enough technical knowledge about computers and the internet. She said that she does not want to spend time learning it and she does not agree that a CALL teacher should know technological things. According to Teacher A’s thoughts, only the technical staff should care for the technical problems about the computers and the internet but there is not a technical staff in YADÝM. She said that she had went to a course and she has the theoretical knowledge to prepare materials for CALL but she thinks that materials, which are taken from the internet, are enough and she does not have time to prepare materials, and it is hard to prepare one’s own CALL materials.
In Teacher B’s opinion, there are not enough qualified teachers to give CALL lessons because to be able to give CALL lessons requires a good background of computers and the language. He said that he has enough technical knowledge to mend computers when necessary and theoretical knowledge to prepare CALL materials or to integrate the web into an EFL curriculum. According to him, a teacher has to blend both the technical knowledge and the theoretical knowledge to be successful at giving CALL lessons but there are very few teachers who can do it.
6.4.6. Motivation and Encouragement
|
|||||
|
Can you provide motivation and encouragement for students adequately? |
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
Do you have problems with your students who do not know how to use the system? |
|
X |
|
|
X |
Figure 6. A: Never, B: Sometimes, C: Usually, D: Often, E: Always
X: Teacher A, X: Teacher B
Teacher A has almost no problem about the motivation and encouragement of the students for CALL practices but Teacher B has problems about it. Moreover, Teacher B says that he always has problems with his students who do not know how to use the system. There is really an important difference between the participants’ answers.
Although Teacher A answered “always” about that she can provide the motivation and the encouragement for the students adequately, she sai,d that some students get bored in CALL lessons and even some students do not like computers. According to her, all of the students have encouragement to use compouters because CALL teachers teach students how to use computers even if they do not know how to use. She said that it is very hard to motivate all of the student s so as to pay attention to CALL lessons because the students are usually interested in playing games or chatting. She told that she had met shy students to ask anything, to prevent that situation and to motivate the students completely she has done everything possible, however, she can also meet some problems about students motivation.
Teacher B agrees that there are some problems about the motivation and the encouragement of the students. Teacher B said that the interest of students to CALL lessons is just about the internet and chatting. According to his opinions, students usually think that the CALL lab is an internet cafe and they see computers as means of game and chatting. Teacher B said that students had not wanted to come to CALL lessons beforehand but they got accustomed to CALL lessons in the course of time. He added that they usually have problems with the students who do not know how to use computers but they, as CALL teachers, have always encouraged students to use computers.
In the CALL lesson observation, it was observed that there is not a problem about the encouragement of the students to use computers but there is a serious problem about the students’ motivation for CALL lessons because, altough they were doing the exercises on their computers, whenever they got a chance, they were trying to enter different web sites, which were not related to the lesson, or they were playing games on computers.
7.
Conclusion
No hypothesis was formulated for this study, so a hypothesis was not confirmed but the main question was “What are the English teachers’ barriers to the use of CALL in university EFL classes?” and there appeared many barriers to the use of CALL in university EFL classes. I needed to identify those barriers under some common titles but, in fact, almost all of them are related to each other.
English teachers have some financial barriers to afford the necessary hardware and software for CALL because the university administration does not spare an appropriation for CALL. Moreover, English teachers have barriers to be able to find high quality hardware and software for CALL. Even if they can find software for CALL, it is probably very expensive to afford. That is again a barrier which is related to the financing.
English teachers sometimes have barriers, which are related to the system, such as; viruses, connection problems or problems which are caused by the students unconsciously.
Acceptance of the new technologies is an important barrier for English teachers because many of them may not be interested in computers and the internet. They may usually prefer to teach in a traditional classroom because to teach CALL lessons requires them to learn many new things about computers and the internet besides English. Many English teachers do not have enough technical knowledge about computers and the internet, and enough theoretical knowledge on how to integrate the web into an EFL curriculum, so, this situation appeared as another barrier to the use of CALL in university EFL classes.
The motivation and the encouragement of students are the other barriers of English teachers to the use of CALL. English teachers may get difficulties to motivate students completely for CALL lessons, and to make students adopt that computers are not just means of playing games or chatting, on the contrary they can be used for language learning, as well.
Consequently, it is seen that English teachers have a lot of barriers to the use of CALL in university EFL calsses in many different aspects which are related to CALL.
8. Implications
This study may be helpful for the educaters so as to understand and identify the English teachers’ barriers to the use of CALL, and to find soultions for those barriers, because a lot of barriers, which English teachers meet while giving CALL lessons, are found. The results, which were reached in this study, may be the start point for administrators and English teachers to be able to get better conditions for CALL lessons. Moreover, this study may be a beneficial source for the researchers who will search about CALL.
9. Suggestions
This study was done by using questionnaires and an informal observation of a CALL lesson, and interviews with the two CALL teachers. However, it may be better that there are interviews with the administrators together with the other data collection instruments because it is really necessary to interview with the administrators of the university to understand the system, in the financing of the university, better. Together with those data collection instruments, questionnaires may be given to the students to see the barriers in their aspect because, if a student has a problem with the lesson, it means that the teacher has a problem with the lesson, as well. So, all of the barriers to the use of CALL in university EFL classes may appear more manifest.
10. Assumptions and Limitations
In fact it is assumed that there were not a lot of limitations in this study but, of course, there were a few problems while constituting this study.
The most important limitation of this study is about the participants. The participants were going to be selected by using the simple random sampling through the English teachers who have taught in Çukurova University’s EFL classes but, because there have been only two CALL teachers, they were selected without the simple random sampling.
The other limitation is related to one of the participants. The questionnaire was given to both of the participants. One of them gave it back the following day after answering but the other participant gave it back after five days and that situation limited the time for the data analysis a little.
References
Hanson-Smith, E. (1995).
Technology in the Classroom: Practice and Promise in the 21st Century.
Retrieved May 2, 2004, from
http://www.tesol.org/pubs/catalog/downloadable/hanson-smith-2.html
Lee, K. (2000). English Teachers' Barriers to the Use of
Computer-assisted Language Learning. Retrieved May 2, 2004, from
http://www.iteslj.org/articles/lee-callbarriers.html
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary
English (3rd ed.). (1995). England: Longman Group Ltd.
McGreal, R. (1988). Computer
Assisted Instruction: Non-human but not Inhuman. English Teaching Forum, July
1988, p.15-17.
Skinner, B. & Austin, R.
(1999). Computer Conferencing: Does It motivate EFL Students? ELT Journal,
Vol.53/4, October 1999, p.270-279.
APPENDIX 1
A ) Never
B ) Sometimes
C ) Usually
D ) Often
E ) Always
|
|||||
|
1- Do you accept the new technologies in TEFL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2- Can you adapt to the new technologies in TEFL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3- Do you think that you have enough technical and theoretical knowledge for CALL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4- Can you find high quality software for CALL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5- Can you find high quality hardware for CALL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6- Does the university administration support you to afford the high cost of software for CALL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7- Does the university
administration support you to afford the high cost of hardware for CALL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8- Does the university administration support you to afford the maintenance of the equipment? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9- Does your system crash? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10- Can you provide motivation and encouragement for students adequately? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11- Do you have problems with your students who do not know how to use the system? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12- Do you connect to the web in CALL practice? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13- Do you think that you have enough knowledge on how to integrate the web into an EFL curriculum? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14- If you have a project partner class anywhere in the world, do you have problems with it? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15- Do you have connection problems? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
16- Do you have virus
problems? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
17- Do you have problems with your internet server? |
|
|
|
|
|
APPENDIX 2
The Interview with Teacher A
Interviewer: What do you think about the usage of the new technologies in EFL classes? Is it an obligation?
Teacher A: Of course, I think that in all EFL classes the new technologies should be used because the internet is improving and you can find all sources on the internet, on the world wide web and of course, our students should make use of them, and of course it is not an obligation. As the technology is improving, we should apply them to our, you know, classes. The old technologies like tape recorder and video are also very useful. We shouldn’t put them aside. Together with them we should also use the internet. Not only the web sites but also the, we can also use cd-roms, you know, they are.
Interviewer: Softwares.
Teacher A: Some softwares, yes. There are some softwares which teach all them; reading, writing, you know, listening, as well, because some internet sites don’t have listening materials and students mostly prefer listening.
Interviewer: Do you think that TEFL should be based on the computers as much as the traditional methods or more than them?
Teacher A: I think we should use traditional methods but together with new technologies. It shouldn’t be based on computers because you can’t replace teachers with computers. It is kind of like you use tape recorder or video. It is a kind of material, you know, we use computers for example if we teach twenty hours a week, so we continue one hour CALL lesson like one, that is enough.
Interviewer: Do you think that it is enough, really?
Tecaher A: Yes, because, you don’t know, some students like it very much, some students get bored, and some students don’t like computers. We can’t say that every student like it, so, if it is more than two or three hours, it will be very boring for them. That is the only reason.
Interviewer: As I searched beforehand, there are two teachers who applies CALL practice.
Tecaher A: Yes.
Interviewer: As I know, there are 69 teachers in YADÝM. Do you know why only two of them apply CALL lessons?
Teacher A: It is not very difficult to teach English on the internet because there are some sites, you need have a look at these sites and you need to learn about them.
Interviewer: Don’t you have to check it before presenting the students?
Tecaher A: Yes, you shold know what it consist of because if students ask a grammar point or a grammar subject, you should know beforehand, you should know which site and in those sites there are also subdivisions but it is not very difficult. Only you should know. You don’t need to know all the technical problems, you know, you don’t need to know a lot of things about computers.
Interviewer: Except for web sites, I think you have to know software and how to use it.
Teacher A: Yes but it is not very difficult to know, you know, you can take a course during a summer holiday but as you said there are only two teachers and it is not enough.
Interviewer: As I know, last year there were other three teachers who applied CALL lessons and they still teach in YADÝM.
Teacher A: One of them is not in YADÝM anymore. She likes teaching CALL lessons. One of them doesn’t to teach anymore. Because she wants to teach, you know, in a traditional classroom. She says she misses her traditional classes. And the other is not here, she is, you know, at home. She is not teaching at the moment. That is the only reason. Only one teacher didn’t want to teach anymore. The other teachers, who taught this lesson before, they still like it. Because it is enough.
Interviewer: And the others?
Teacher A: Nobody has any intention to learn it.
Interviewer: Why?
Teacher A: We don’t know.
Interviewer: Maybe they don’t have enough technical and theoretical knowledge.
Teacher A: Yes, but still, you know, they can ask if they want to teach. They can ask for our help. We can also help them but nobody has intention.
Interviewer: Interesting. Do you think that data processing companies produce enough CALL software? If so, are they high quality?
Teacher A: I don’t think so because we have only like three or four cd-roms. You mean software, you mean cd-roms?
Interviewer: Yes.
Teacher A: One of them is Longman, the other one is Oxford I think. And I don’t think they are enough. I don’t think that there are enough web sites. There are only very good ones like two or three. But the others, they are not very, you know, they are not enough.
Interviewer: If we look at the oher branches, for example; economics, there are lots of softwares and they are very cheap or they are free. But when we look at the point of the education, there are less softwares and they are very expensive.
Teacher A: Some of them are yes. There was this site “English Zone”. We like it very much, it was a good one but then it became, you know, need a membership or anything.
Interviewer: Do you know why this situation appears? Is it hard to prepare for CALL or for any branches of the education?
Teacher A: I think it is hard. For example, we went to a course this summer. We learnt how to prepare them. And you prepare hours but you can only prepare a short activity. And you need alot of time. I think it is difficult.
Interviewer: You mean a good background for computers and English?
Teacher A: Yes, you need to have technological ability and you need to find materials. You can’t make use of the books because they have copyright problems. And we are not native speakers, we can’t write original texts so it is really difficult.
Interviewer: Does the university administration support you to afford?
Teacher A: They always support.
Interviewer: There are some differences between your questionnaires. Teacher B said that he prepares his own materials. In fact, he said he has to prepare his own software because the university administration doesn’t support you to afford the software and the hardware.
Teacher A: Well, I don’t know. I mean, two years ago, when Teacher B wasn’t teaching with us, we asked for some cd-roms and the university administration bought them. Whenever the computers were broken down, the university administration always helped us to afford.
Interviewer: I think there is no problem about the maintenance of the equipment.
Teacher A: Yes, it is good I think.
Interviewer: Are hardwares and computers bought by the university?
Teacher A: Yes, and we have two CALL labs, not only one.
Interviewer: Does your system crash?
Teacher A: Sometimes.
Interviewer: Why?
Teacher A: This is one of the problems, because when you teach in a traditional lesson, you don’t have these kinds of problems. Even if you don’t have a book, you can talk to students, you can write on the board . But, when the system crashes, you can’t do anything. Students come to the lab and you have to say “Sorry, this is a technical problem”. This is one of the drawbacks of CALL lessons. Because, for example; it happened last week. There was a virus. And we couldn’t do anything . Students had to go.
Interviewer: Don’t you have technical knowlodge?
Teacher A: I don’t have enough technical knowlodge. Because I am not interested in technology. Of course, I like teaching CALL classes but I can’t learn, I mean, I don’t want to spend time learning it. So Teacher B knows and as a CALL teacher, actually I don’t agree you should know technological things. You know, in other universities or bigger universities there are CALL labs. They have teachers and at the same time technical staff. You know, we should have some technical staff for technical problems. It is not teachers’ job.
Interviewer: And the motivation of the students, as I saw in my observation, students log in other websites and I spoke to one of them. He said that he could do these language exercises at home or in the book.
Teacher A: But they don’t. You know, they always told me that they have computers at home. They can log on these web sites at home. But when I ask them “Do you do that, do you log in these web sites?”, they say “No” sometimes and I said “Even if you log in these websites, you don’t, do you have a teacher at home?”, because if they don’t know the answers, they should or they can always ask me. They say “Of course you are right, when we log on at home, we can’t ask anyone.” Here, I want them to ask me all the questions because sometimes they don’t understand in their classes and sometimes they are shy to ask. But over there everybody studies different subjects, for example; when they don’t understand a certain grammar point, they study and then they ask me if they don’t understand. So, I can individually help them. This is one of the advantages. They can call and ask me the things, but here in the classroom sometimes they don’t ask because they really feel shy or, you know, there are other reasons. So and the motivation. The most important thing is to feel on what they are doing. For example; every week we teach certain things. Students do some exercises, the same subjects with the teaching order but I think you don’t have to do this. For example; if you are not happy studying grammar, you can study reading or listening, if you like.
Interviewer: You have many choices.
Teacher A: Yes, of course. If they want to study vocabulary or other staff, you know, sometimes I tell them to study idioms, slang words or phrasal verbs, but they should always tell me if they are not happy. At that moment they should call me, and say “Teacher, I don’t wanna do this, I want to change this” so I can help them. I ask them “What do you want to do?”. Sometimes they say “I don’t wanna study today” and I say “Okay, you can read those magazines, in English”. You know I always help them if hey do this. They are always motivated but I always tell them to call me and ask me. But sometimes, although they are not happy with those sites, they go on studying, you know but there is nothing more I can do.
Interviewer: As I see in my observation, students show less interest than they are supposed to, don’t they ?
Teavher A: Yes.
Interviewer: Can it be because there is not an obligation for CALL lessons.
Teacher A: It is obligatory, yes.
Interviewer: Students are not evaluated and marked for CALL lessons. Can it be the reason?
Teacher A: Yes, of course.
Interviewer: Do you have students who don’t know how to use the system?
Teacher A: No, all of them, you mean the internet?
Interviewer: The internet and computers.
Teacher A: All of them know
because at the beginning of
our lessons, we ask them. If they don’t know, we teach them.
Interviewer: Do they know well?
Teacher A: Enough to learn. They are very easy to use those internet sites. You just click on the right answers and it is easy.
Interviewer: Yeah, but I know that students sometimes cause some problems in computers.
Teacher A: Yes, sometimes they want to download something if they know a lot about computers. It is a bigger problem. But the others, if they don’t know enough about, it is not a problem. Some students, like engineering students, they know a lot about the computers and they tend to downloadsome programmes or do something else. So it is another problem. So we should be aware, we shouldn’t sit. We should always walk around, guide them, the teachers’ role is a different one. It is not an authority. We help them, we guide them. It is like a self study.
Interviewer: Does your internet server work well?
Teacher A: You know, as I told you before, I don’t know much about technical things. Teacher B deals with that but there is no problem. If there is a problem, if the internet disconnects, we have those exercises. We don’t need to use the internet, students can study those exercises. You know, there ar some exercises on each computer.
Interviewer: Do you have a project partner class?
Teacher A: Last year I had. There was this teacher from a university, I think it was in Manchester, and she had English Literature students. They were older than our students and they had this project. They wanted to know about different countries’ cultures. We had level 3 and prep classes. So we matched our students. First we wrote to each other e-mails with that teacher and then our students. We matched each student, you know, everybody and they started to write. Those students were asking about Turkey, you know, thay want to learn about family life, religion, and you know, all the things and the cultural things. Our students, since they were level 3 classes, it was easy to communicate because they were native speakers.
Interviewer: Is it about just chatting or sending e-mails?
Teacher A: Sending e-mails,
not chatting. They only send e-mails to each other but it was regular because
it was the assignment of the students. They have to write to our students and
every lesson, in our CALL lesson we didn’t log on the internet, we just wrote
e-mails and students like it because they were very excited. They have e-mails
every week and it was a good one and they wrote them regularly, they said they
didn’t write them anymore after their project finished. They were a bit tired
about it.
Interviewer: Have you ever thought about turning this project to a real project lesson for level 3, for example; a writing project or a research project?
Teacher A: Actually another teacher who had been teaching here did that kind of a project because her masters was about CALL lessons. She did some studies on it. I think one of the class was in Korea, I think, I don’t remember. She did some kind of projects.
Interviewer: Okay, why don’t you have a project partner class this year?
Teacher A: You know, I did last year, maybe this year because it wasn’t compulsary in the first block. This block we will start it but I might think about it because it really worked wellwith the level 3 classes last year. I might do the same thing with the same teacher.
Interviewer: It may be better for the students.
Teacher A: Yes, it is really motivating and encouraging.
Interviewer: If we summary the barriers; they are financial, motivational, sometimes finding hardware and software is really a big problem.
Teacher A: Software is enough because they don’t study all the time. They sometimes prefer studying.
Interviewer: But Teacher B said that he had to prepare software , because, even if you find software for CALL you have to adapt it to the lessons to your syllabus. Maybe it is harder than preparing your own software because adaptation is really difficult, too.
Teacher A: I don’t think so. I don’t think we should adapt them because we can always adapt them in the internet. They are always, when we teach something, when you see the list in our teaching order, you can always find them, all of them. You don’t need to.
Interviewer: But I saw that there are many mistakes in these softwares.
Teacher A: Not many mistakes because teachers prepare it. You can also find it in textbooks, teachers’ book, you can also find some mistakes. Once in a while, I always tell students beforehand “If you think the question is right or wrong, always ask me, don’t always count on the key.” So they can always find what they want to study. It is enough, you know, web sites are enough. It is endless. They have lots of things to study.
Interviewer: And the other point is acceptance of technologies, we mentioned it, do you want to add any other thing that you think as a barrier, as a problem for teachers and students in CALL practices?
Teacher A: Maybe, the students want to have a look at other English web sites. Since we have only one lesson in a week, it is not enough. Maybe if it was two lesson, that could be better. So, for one week, one lesson, they could log in other web sites, and for the other lesson, they can also study, you know, what is on the teaching order. That would be better. Since we are sort of teachers that is possible to do that. Although you think that many students are not motivated, most of them think that only 45 minutes in a week is not enough. They say they like it and want longer lessons. Most of them are motivated. Of course there are some students who don’t like it but that is the general idea because I remember, last year, they always say they don’t wanna go out, wanna stay and continue.
Interviewer: What about your own experiences that you remember?
Teacher A: There is a big problem. You couldn’t check all students, screens, web pages but you know there is this program, you know easy cafe, you know. You can check all the screens which makes it really easy for us because students.
Interviewer: It is again very hard to check all of them because there are 24 computers in the lab.
Teacher A: Of course, it is very hard, but students know that we check them although we don’t check them. They think we check all the time. They are more careful this year because we didn’t have that kind of system last year, so you walk around, talk to a sudent , the other one had tendency to log in another web sites. But this year they don’t do that much. Because they know that we have that facility.
Interviewer: Okay, what do you think about the future of CALL, in Turkey and in other countries, in EFL classes?
Teacher A: You know computers are getting easier to obtain.
Interviewer: They are getting cheaper and cheaper.
Teacher A: Yes, getting cheaper, so maybe if more, you know, universities and schools have CALL lessons and then there might be more teachers who are interested in CALL and they might produce more matreials, more softwares.
Interviewer: Why don’t you produce software?
Teacher A: Because, honestly I don’t have enough time, if it was teaching only in CALL lessons, it is okay, but I also teach in evening classes and other, you know, regular classes.
Interviewer: How many hours do you teach in a week?
Teacher A: I teach 26 hours in a week so it is impossble for me, you know, to prepare these materials. Although I really want to, as I told you I went to a course in summer, I know how to prepare but.
Interviewer: You think you don’t have time.
Teacher A: Yes.
Interviewer: It is your choice.
Teacher A: You know, if the internet sites weren’t enough, I would prepare them but I think they are enough so there is no urgent need for any other software and it is only one hour in a week so they are always enough and sometimes students also writes e-mails to their penfriends.
Interviewer: And what should be done for better CALL practices?
Teacher A: More softwares should be prepared, I mean the teacher like us, you know, they should prepare software according to their students’ needs.
Interviewer: However, even if there are enough software, there isn’t enoguh staff to apply it.
Teacher A: There should be more teachers teaching CALL. I am not sure that most teachers are interested in the internet. They don’t use it. Maybe young teachers will be more interested.
Interviewer: Open-minded ones?
Teacher A: Yes, open-minded and they know how to use computers because here most of our teachers are middle age or something, you know, they haven’t used computers so far and they are not interested at all. I think I am positive about the future, you know, it will be better.
Interviewer: I can’t say that I am positive about the future because there are almost 25.000 students in this university but only two CALL teachers.
Teacher A: It is not enough, maybe we can try to persuade new teachers to teach CALL.
Interviewer: Okay, thank you very much.
Teacher A: It is okay.
APPENDIX 3
The Interview with Teacher B
Interviewer: Does the university administration support you to afford the hardware?
Teacher B: All these are the computers which were bought due to a project so I can’t say that the university administration supports us to afford hardware.
Interviewer: I think there is not a problem about the maintenance of the equipment.
Teacher B: Yes, the university administration support us to afford the maintenance of the equipment adequately. However, we don’t usually send the computers to repairs. I do the maintenance by myself when necessary. I concern the maintenance and the software. I do them by myself. But, for instance, if we need a spare part, then we send the computer and they send it back after they assemble the spare part. When we need a different spare part, we demand it and later we get it, bring and assemble it here by ourselves. Beforehand, when a computer broke down, it used to be sent to the data processing unit of the university but it used to take a long time; one or two months, that a computer was mended and later they used to send it back to us. Now, of course, the computers break down but we shorten the period of the maintenance. Now, we can mend a computer in one or two days and we can put it into the use immediately. That is because I have the technical knowledge to mend a computer. Teacher A doesn’t have enough technical knowledge but she has enough theoretical knowledge to use the computer well.
Interviewer: But there is a serious difference in your questionnaires about whether the university administration supports you or not. Does the university administration provide an appropriation for CALL?
Teacher B: No, we don’t have an appropriation. There is not a software that we buy and update regularly. Beforehand, some interactive cd-roms of Longman and Oxford were bought and used for a period but they weren’t effective. Then a new one wasn’t bought. Last year, when I was a member of the administration, I wanted a new software but it wasn’t approved because it was a bit expensive, it was 100.000 $. The feature of that programme is that everything is ready in it. It follows a book regularly. But now, we follow a syllabus. It is a question mark whether that software is appropriate to our syllabus or not, but it would be adapted. We know, it is very expensive so we support CALL with a system, called as “electronic portfolio”. The universities in Europe spent money for CALL very much and it still wasn’t enough because you can use a software only during a term later you have to update it and it is also expensive. So they decided to constitute a cheaper system which doesn’t have to depend on computers. It is “electronic portfolio”. So we decided to follow that system and I’m trying to constitute it here. Moreover, I have been interested in CALL for years.
Interviewer: Do you think that the new technologies should be used in TEFL? Is it an obligation?
Teacher B: Now, if we consider the conditions in Turkey, you know, you need a class atmosphere for TEFL. However, the duration is very limited in a class. If you add a computer assistance to such a limited duration for TEFL, it would be very useful. Due to the internet, a student can study the subjects of that week whenever and how long s/he wants. So, a four-hour lesson may be an unlimited-hour lesson in the internet. So , it is always positive to use the new technologies.
Interviewer: In the electronic portfolio system, a student can easily submit a homework to your homepage?
Teacher B: Yes, they can easily submit their homeworks and if I’m online, I can give feedback immediately. Moreover, I can give feedback to all students just in one e-mail and so I can save my time to prepare a different activity. It is very good for saving time but, you know, many people in Turkey can’t afford a computer for oneself at home.
Interviewer: Okay. What about the adaptation of the materials which are taken from the internet?
Teacher B: It is almost impossible that a material, taken from the internet, is appropriate to your syllabus. Moreover, the staff, which prepares that kind of software, has a commercial anxiety. You know, a publishing house starts with starter and later elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced and proficiency. They publish seven books only in one series. Besides, the context of starter and elementary is almost the same but the starter is told very easily. Oh, is it bad? No, of course, that an individual learns a language lasts two years. That series is very appropriate for a two-year period. But, here, we have to make students be at least in the upper intermediate level only in one year and they have to be provided to pass the proficiency exam thank to the education, here. We are trying the achieve that aim by giving an intensive course here. So, that kind of software is not always sufficient for us.
Interviewer: As I saw in my observation, you sometimes make the students do exercises in some web sites.
Teacher B: Yes, sometimes.
Interviewer: I met mistakes in those sites’ exercises.
Teacher B: Yes, of course, there are mistakes. You know, computer means command. Computer is a command which is in the logic of 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0; namely digits. If you don’t command exactly, it may say that your answer is wrong. If a teacher, while preparing software, put only “had not” as the right answer, when you write that blank “hadn’t” computer says you are wrong so we have to think about all possible responses which is appropriate to that blank. But it is again a problem, for instance, if clauses. There are two blanks in if clauses and if I add all the possible responses there and if the student writes the past perfect in the first clause the future in the second clause, the computer will say you are right. But, you know, it is wrong. I think they are some mistakes that you mention. And sometimes I see questions with double true choices.
Interviewer: But these are not mistakes related to commands. They are the mistakes of preparatories.
Teacher B: Of course, you have to be very careful while preparing materials. It is impossible to check that kind of mistakes in web sites. You know, they have lots of subdivisions in all topics and you can’t check all of them. It is very easy to check the materials that you prepare by yourself really. And by presenting students our own materials, we can prevent students to enter the internet. Maybe, you will say “Why do you prevent?”. Firstly, we have to explain the concept, called “to use the internet”. Is the internet for studying or surfing? We don’t use it for surfing.
Interviewer: And I think there is a problem with it. The teacher has to care for all students but some students log in other web sites while the teacher is busy with another student.
Teacher B: Yes, you are right. While the teacher is on the other side of the lab, other students can do many things in the internet except for studying. Here, we use the system “easy cafe”. There are 24 computers and this is the server, the 25th computer. I don’t have to walk around the lab, I can easily see what is going on in all computers’screens by the help of this system. I can check the other computers whenever I want and I can close the use of that computer if necessary. Here, I can check all the internet output and if necessary, I can direct all computers only to one web site. I can interfere the other computers everytime.
Interviewer: Can you prevent the use of other web sites except for the one, you use that in the lesson, exactly?
Teacher B: Yes, I can prevent. It is again very hard to check all computers even if you have that facility. Moreover, even if you allow students to enter only to one web site, they can enter other web sites and we can’t prevent.
Interviewer: I am asking these because students show attention to CALL lesson but.
Teacher B: The interest of students to CALL lessons is just about the internet , chat and etc.
Interviewer: Yeah, that is exactly what I wanna mention. Students do exercises on the net but they show less interest to CALL exercises than they are supposed to.
Teacher B: That is what I aim to do. Here is not an internet cafe, here is a study centre. We are trying to arouse that idea. You have to study what you are presented if you are busy with the other things except for what you are supposed to study, then we apply a punishment. I close the computer of that student. So that student gets bored and has to study with another friend. Even this punishment is good for students because they study together.
Interviewer: Is the attendance obligatory here?
Teacher B: Yes, we keep attendance lists.
Interviewer: If not, it would be very hard to provide the attendance?
Teacher B:Yes, last block, we started this course for the ones who were willing but only six or seven students used to come and their aim was to log in the internet, as well. So, we made CALL lessons obligatory and now all of the students attend and know what they will study here. After we constituded this system here, although each student has a PC, they answer questions together by arguing. So, students provide one another to remember what they study, this really good. They provide pair interaction unconsciously.
Interviewer: Do you think that CALL should replace the traditional methods in TEFL?
Teacher B: No, but computers should be an assistant for the traditional methods in TEFL.
Interviewer: I remember an expression “The computers will not replace the teachers, but the teachers, who use computers will inevitably replace the ones, who don’t”. Do you aggree with it completely?
Teacher B: Yes, I strongly agree with it. The technology is improving. We are in a technological age. Now a teacher, who just tells a subject in the class, can’t draw students’ attention. Moreover, those teachers use only the grammar translation method.
Interviewer: Even, they don’t use communicative approaches.
Teacher B: Yes, even, they aren’t communicative. And they use the native language in the class, not the target language.
Interviewer: Should TEFL be based on computers exactly?
Teacher B: No, it should be an assistant to common language teaching approaches because you can’t use CALL with the one who don’t know to use computers. It is useless for that kind of students. We have problems with that kind of students here. It lasted long to teach them how to use the system. A beginner should see the use of language and as I see there is not a programme for a beginner now. So, CALL should be applied after a definite level, such as; pre-intermediate level. So, you need to use the traditional methods to give a start for a beginner’s education. After constituting the background of the student with the traditional methods, you can start applying CALL together with them. When a student comes to the upper intermediate level, you can give only CALL lessons for that student. Because a student, in that level, has language awereness, knowledge to study what and how, and language learning strategies. That’s valid for everybody. In fact, computer is a concept which use the communicative approach very well. If you provide a connection with another university, it will be very good for students. Students can chat with other students and learn English as survival because s/he has to communicate. Speaking and writing can be used in a chat very well. So, students have to use the language. So, all four skills can be included in a chat activity.
Interviewer: Do you have a project partner class?
Teacher B: No, now we don’t have. We used to have. Of course, we think about a project which includes it but after constituting the system here completely. You know, everything is gradual.
Interviewer: An EFL class on the other side and a group of native speakers?
Teacher B: Of course, we are able to do it, we think to do in three steps. How? Two EFL classes and a native speakers’ class. So, students will chat and apply the things that they learn. But, firstly, we, as the teachers of the groups, have to be in connection, we have to decide the topic of the week and direct students according to that topic. So, we can provide an argument atmosphere for students. It will last long, I think.
Interviewer: Except for chatting, do you have ideas about a common project with the same topic?
Teacher B: Yes, now we are working on it with China.
Interviewer: Did you apply it here beforehand?
Teacher B: I didn’t but one of our colleagues applied it. It was a writing project but I don’t know its success.
Interviewer: What do you think about the acceptance of the new technologies in TEFL by the teachers?
Teacher B: There are 69 teachers in YADÝM and almost half of them use computers. But they are not CALL teachers, they are just active users. I opened a computer course here in summer. I gave lessons for two days but in the third day nobody came. Besides, six or seven teachers attended in first two days. Why didn’t they come? They didn’t want. Did it arise from me? No, I did what was necessary.
Interviewer: Is CALL applied to 8 groups in YADÝM?
Teacher B: Yes.
Interviewer: Do you know how many groups are educated in YADÝM?
Teacher B: I think there are 32 groups in YADÝM.
Interviewer: Should all of them be given CALL lessons?
Teacher B: Yes, but, then we have to give lessons everytime.
Interviewer: Are there enough lab for it?
Teacher B: Yes, here are two CALL labs.
Interviewer: Last year, there were more teachers but they don’t give CALL lessons anymore. Do you know why?
Teacher B: I don’t know.
Interviewer: Can’t it be provided that all groups are given CALL lessons?
Teacher B: No, it can be provided but then we have to miss our traditional classes. I have 12 hours except for CALL lessons.
Interviewer: Is it due to the lack of the staff?
Teacher B: Yes, there aren’t enough qualified teachers to give CALL lessons. To be able to give CALL lessons requires a good background. You have to know computers well. Moreover, the system is changing. Beforehand, there were teachers who were saying to students “Enter that web site and do the exercises”. But, now, it is different. I want to prepare my own materials in an appropriate teaching order to my own students’ syllabus. So, a CALL teacher should know computer programming well. Namely, a CALL teacher should know how to prepare a material and later how to edit it when there is a mistake. This requires a good background. If you teach on a computer, you have to know about computers well because if there is a problem about a computer in you lesson, you have to able to repair and put that computer in use immediately if you can. Here are a few teachers who can do it. You have to have both technical and theoretical knowledge. You can’t drive a car just with your theoretical knowledge. You have to blend both of them very well as a teacher.
Interviewer: What do you think about the motivation and encouragement of the students?
Teacher B: For example, this class. Almost everybody is here. In fact, lots of them didn’t want to come to CALL lessons beforehand. But now their motivation is very high. They have got accustomed to CALL lessons. They know that they have to attend these lessons. Of course, sometimes, there are students with low motivation. Now, let’s look at the number 12, he and his friend, next to him, are laughing. Let’s learn why. Oh, they are listening to music. Now I will close their computers.
Interviewer: Do you want to add any other thing that an English teacher may meet in the use of CALL?
Teacher B: When firstly we buy the computer, we see it as means of
game. I bought my first computer in 1991. It was a “DX
Interviewer: Isn’t high quality software produced for CALL?
Teacher B: It is produced but unfortunately they are not appropriate for our system. We have to be fast in TEFL but, for example, Longman’s software is slow for us.
Interviewer: As I see in my background study, data processing companies don’t produce enough software for CALL. Do you know why?
Teacher B: Firstly, the demand is very low. And there aren’t sufficient technical staff for it because the one, who prepares software for CALL, should know both computer programming and the language very well. Or he needs someone who knows the language well. The education programmes are very complex, they include lots of items and they are very hard to prepare. You need to think the syllabus, the vocabulary, units, subjects, objectives, activities and etc. It is something like writing a coursebook. You have to be an expert.
Interviewer: Lastly, what do you think about the future of CALL?
Teacher B: I am trying to prepare a programme which will provide CALL available outside the university. It will be better for all students. The technology is improving very fast so it is hard to say “My aim is ..........” because it may be old-fashioned soon. Our continuous aim is to make CALL common. CALL lessons should be more than an hour in a week. In upper levels, students should be provided to do self learning with the use of CALL. There are lots of plans to do.
Interviewer: Thank you very much.
Teacher B: Not at all, I hope it will be useful.
Interviewer: I hope.
Warning: “Windows Media Player”, “Windows Internet Explorer” and “Adobe Flash Player” should be installed on your system in order to
listen to the songs and view the videos properly on the site.
Copyright Policy: All of the texts, the photos and the contents are authentic, and belong to Arif Bulut. They cannot be used partly or completely in pressed or any other electronic environments without the permission of Arif Bulut. Whatever the method is, it is forbidden to copy the contents. Otherwise, treatment against is a crime in accordance with “The OPINION and WORK of ART LAW, numbered 5846, of the TURKISH REPUBLIC” and “The COPYRIGHT LAW of the UNITED STATES, Circular 92”. All rights reserved.