Week 7: Employment of CALL for Teaching Different Skills

After reading the articles required for this week, I acquire new significant things in the use of CALL for teaching specific skills in a second/foreign language.

My personal opinion about the articles is that there are useful because it shows us the theory on how CALL is useful to teach speaking to second or foreign language learners. As we know, we can use computers to improve students’ skills, but the article written by Julia Gong, explain the advantages of the use of CALL in teaching speaking skills. We can see how the use of CALL in a second/foreign language classroom creates situations that stimulate interest, allows dialogue and communication, enhances reactivity, etc. these situations made a perfect environment to develop in a good way the speaking skills of our students, because sometimes students are afraid to make mistakes in front of others when there are practicing with someone else; in that way when their practice speaking with a computer they leave their fears behind and develop in a better way their skills.

Another thing that caught my attention from the articles, was the fact that it provides some examples about how us as teachers can use the technology to develop our own material, and also the author mention how a common TV show, like The Simpsoms, can be useful to teach grammar or listening to our students.

In conclusion, we as teachers have the tools to make our classes more comfortable and entertaining for our students using the technology, in order to every student, develops in a good way every skill of a second/foreign language class.