ALL, the Internet, and the foreign language teacher

By Rolf Palmberg
Department of Teacher Education
Abo Akademi University
Vaasa, Finland

Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to suggest ways in which CALL and Internet methodology can be linked in with ordinary foreign-language classroom work in order to motivate the learners to learn what the teacher wants them to learn

Planning a CALL/Internet-based teaching unit

The teacher's role, first of all, is to choose a CALL program or an online Internet activity (from now on collectively referred to as 'computer program' or just 'program') that can fulfil the teaching goals aimed at during the teaching unit and that is - hopefully - interesting from the learners' point of view.
a) pre-computer work
b) computer work
c) post-computer work


Conclusion

Regardless of the type of tasks performed by the learners, it is always profitable from an educational point-of-view to let the learners reflect upon what they feel they have learned during the various phases of the teaching unit. Furthermore, project work dealing with different countries, peoples, and cultures in particular often lead to further questions that need to be answered and which could perhaps be worth a follow-up project in its own right. The teacher could therefore ask the learners to prepare, as homework, questions to be asked using one or several of the communication options offered by the Internet, such as e-mail, electronic postcards, or a chat site. Providing ample opportunity for authentic, albeit written communication in the foreign language with other learners throughout the world, such homework generally guarantees optimal learner motivation.