CALL Dimensions: Options and Issues in Computer-Assisted Language Learning(ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series)

This volume gives language teachers, software designers, and researchers who wish to use technology in second or foreign language education the information they need to absorb what has been achieved so far and to make sense of it. It is designed to enable the kind of critical reading of a substantial literature that leads to a balanced and detailed knowledge of the field. Chapter by chapter, the book builds, through description, analysis, examples, and discussion, a detailed picture of modern CALL.   In this book, the label “CALL” is interpreted broadly to include technology-enhanced language learning, Web-enhanced language learning, and information and communication technologies for language learning. The work is distinguished by its attention to a range of languages rather than just English.   The authors first set the scene and introduce major areas of interest and growth in CALL, and then look in depth at seven important dimensions: design, evaluation, computer-mediated communication, theory, research, practice, and technology. Chapters on each of these topics include a description that reviews the recent literature, identifies themes, and presents representative projects that illustrate the dimension, followed by a discussion that provides in-depth analysis, and a conclusion offering suggestions for further work. Detailed references and links connect the description and discussion with original works and primary sources so the reader can follow up easily on areas of personal interest. Two concluding chapters discuss how the various dimensions might be brought together, the first from a practical point of view, the second with a view to the development of CALL as a whole.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Introduction. Design. Evaluation. Computer-Mediated Communication. Theory. Research. Practice. Technology. Integration. Emergent and Established CALL. Appendices.

Review :
“....a major state-of-the art volume. Highly intelligent and authoritative, it shows the knowledge, expertise, and experience of the authors on every page. I predict it will become the text of choice for all CALL courses. It is in a class by itself in terms of the quality and breadth of coverage, and also cutting edge in terms of the literature and research reviewed, the issues raised, and the directions given for the future.” —Martha C. Pennington, Elizabethtown College “...an important work that has long been needed.....It takes in the full, rich range of international sources in the field and offers an up-to-date commentary on the state of CALL that will be welcomed by those already working in the field and, as technology is becoming more integrated into language teaching in general, by the large number of established language teaching professionals in need of a foundation in this area.” —Philip Hubbard, Stanford University "The lack of publications synthesizing the CALL field makes this book an invaluable resource for CALL professionals as well as for those new to the field...Levy and Stockwell's combined experience allows readers to see the bigger picture in the discussions at the end of each chapter, something not often seen in CALL publications...This is a very readable and comprehensive look at the field of CALL as it currently stands. This book has a number of strengths and would be a valuable addition to any introductory CALL course, as well as recommended reading for CALL researchers and evaluators."--TESL-EJ, September 2007, Vol. 11, No. 2 "One of the main strengths of CALL Dimensions is that it aims at a wide cross-section of language teachers, researchers and software designers. Nevertheless, its accessible language, end of chapter summaries, and clear structure will also appeal to those new to the CALL field in search of a thorough overview."--BJET: British Journal of Educational Technology, May 2008