THE STRENGHTS AND THE WEAKNESSES OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) IN LEARNING PROCESS
The development of information technology has influenced the application of computer in the learning process, which is well known as computer assisted learning. Computer is used as a medium for facilitating people in learning process. It offers some strength for students in their learning process. Computer assisted language learning (CALL) is intended to give participants abroad view of computer enhanced language teaching and learning. It will involve participants in exploring a working theory of language learning environments, using and discussing existing potential applications of computer technology in the language classroom, and creating project to use and test knowledge gained through reading, discussion, and experience. In particular case the computer may act as a teacher or tutor providing materials, guiding students how to learn it, and giving more information and explanations. Another benefit obtained from computer is that it can be a very affective and efficient reference book. It also can be utilized to communicate visually with students.
The impact of communication and information technology development on language education has been significant influenced. Ballenden (1984) points out that computer technology will increasingly penetrate all aspect of life, including education. Maddison (1983) maintains that the technology of education and technology communication are two sides of the same coin. The development of information technology that has followed by the development of computer technology has stimulate people especially those who works in the field of education such as teachers, curriculum planners, and media designers to carry out experiments and studies on the possibility of utilizing computers for educational purposes.
Despite of these apparent strengths, the application of computer-assisted language learning does not seem force one common influence on learner performance. On the other hand various studies examine the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning programs have responded that there are significant differences in favor of computers between the language learning achievements attained by students from computer- assisted language learning. However there is evidence that the effect is not identical for all learners. For example, there were no significant differences between the conversation skills of group of teaching produced by the learners. Piper’s (986) study showed that learners’ conversation during learning via computer based programs consisted of very short turns, which would be unlikely to lead to substantial language learning gain.
Considerations that reflection of using the computer in language learning, are utilized in the computer antique’s features. One of these features is the computer’s flexibility. Ahmad (1985) suggested that:
The computer is flexible in a number of significant ways. It often happens that students cannot attend a class because of illness, timetable clashes, and other problems. This presents no difficulty for the computer. Provided a computer is available, the students can at any time, and spend as long as indeed to gain full benefit from the material. It can accommodate different speeds of learning, or alternatively, limits can be imposed on the time available for answering questions, which is valuable when it is used for testing purposes.
Another feature which is often cited is that computer may also give individual attention to students (Ahmad et al,1985;Hope et al,1984) sate that:
Good programs can offer, in this way, individualized attention and call allow students to work at their own pace. Students can work in privacy without fear of reprisal or ridicule regardless of how slow they might be or how often they give incorrect answers. Immediate diagnosis saves time and frustration and helps students weed out their errors. Computers possess the quality of infinite patience. They treat each student in the same way without favoritism. They are consistent in their responses, regardless of how many hours they have been working. Even the best teachers cannot show the same level of enthusiasm, interest, and energy, day in day out.
The application of multimedia system in the creation of computer-assisted language learning tutorial package accounts for same advantages as well as disadvantages. First that there are same advantages in computer-assisted language learning such as CALL offers freedom for users to choose any topic of information available within the package. The table of contents donates all topics available which can selected by simply clicking on the box labeled for particular topic. Since the tutorial package can also be used in pairs, it supports the students to be able to collaborate very usefully in problem solving which in itself is considered to be a good skill acquire, as it can be implemented in wide range of different context. CALL ‘flexibility of time allows the student to determine what particular topics and how long students want to learn. Furthermore, students who miss the class because of some reasons, still have opportunity to learn the particular topic taught in the classroom as far as the topic is available in the CALL program. The effectiveness of computer assisted language learning has been made obvious by many researchers but in has weakness.
The weakness of computer-assisted language learning that students can not target key in target language’s sentence freely, particularly in computer assisted learning system. The students just accept the information which follows the instruction of curriculum which had been installed in the computer. Therefore, it can be said that these types of systems are not totally interactive. The information of errors will be sent as error identification from the sentence analysis system to the feedback system. The adequate feedback message will be given according to the error identification. In this system allows the student to correct the sentence by herself or himself. And allows students to realize what error she or he has made. Students also just learn by themselves with computer they will ignore the environment around them. They will become individualism because they only face with their computer. Teacher in Computer assisted language learning lack of approaching to their students because they just seeing and waiting the result from students what had been done. Computer assisted language learning also just for certain people, especially for people who have good economic level. Compared with the traditional books, the electronic book the CAL program is considered to be much handy. Students usually can only used computers available in their schools in which the opening hours are very restricted. Most of students they have no computer at home yet. In general, reading a text, especially the long ones on the screen is lower, more difficult and tiring. Viewing from the financial side, Cal is costly enough for the programmer or teacher,let alone for students. lotof funds have to be provided to purchase equipment, design programs, and for the maintenance.
Reference: Hartoyo,M.A.Ph.D.2006. Individual Differences in Computer-Assisted Language Learning : Universitas Negeri Semarang Press.
Littlewood, William1982. Commutation Language Teaching an Introduction. London: Cambridge University Press.
Internet Computer Assisted Language Learning –Summer 2006
