Kern and Warschauer (2000) write about how CALL (Computer Assissted Langauage Learning) has made a shift from a structural to sociocognitive approach to language learning.

1. What are the main ideas of the structural, cognitive and sociocognitive perspective to language learning?
2. What is the role of the computer in each of these approaches?
3. Which of these approaches in your opinion can be best used with the web 2.0?

Network-based language teaching (NBLT) involves the use of computers connected to one another in a local or global network.

Strucutral perspective on language learning

In the structural approach, the focus is on contrastive analyses of the strucutral differences between the native (L1) and the target language (L2). Therewith, strucutres could be carefully selected, hgraded and presented. The key was practice, in contrary to knowledge. Writing and reading was seen as an aid to the learning of correct strucutres.

The computer was (if at all!) used for drill activities. Students had to type in the correct form and the computer program evaluated it in terms of right or wrong. In most cases, there was no feedback given (like what was wrong or what could be improve – only right or wrong was given). To sum up, we can say that the computer was used as a tutor that delivers language drills or skill practice.

Cognitive/constructivist perspective

The focus was on the development of an individual´s grammatical system, guided by innate cognitive structures. Teachers wanted to foster the learner´s mental construction of a second language system. Errors were not seen as a bad thing but as natural by-products of a creative learning process, involving simplification, generalization, transfer, and other general cognitive strategies. Therefore, this perspective at first led to renewed attention of grammar rules.

With the advent of multimedia technology on the personal computer, the computer serves as a space in which to explore and creatively influence microworlds. Computer was used as a tool for experimentation (games, language quests (virtual environment), use of Internet, web quests)

Sociocognitive perpective

CALL moved from learners interaction with computers to interaction with other humans via the computer. This approach focused on a broader emphasis on meaningful interaction in authentic discourse communities. Furthermore, the computer was used as a computer-as-toolkit. Word-processor programmes have been valuable tools for helping learners to use language with greater lexical and syntactic appropriateness. The computer-as-tool, allows much more authentic communication, in that it now facilitates access to other people as well as to information and data. The world-wide web became a powerful tool in the EFL classroom, too.

With the development of computer networks, the computer serves as a medium of local and global communication and a source of authentic materials. This multiplicity of roles has taken CALL far beyond the early “electronic workbook” variety of software that dominated the second and foreign language marketplace for years and has opened up new avenues in foreign language teaching.  Computers were/are used for e-mail projects, weblogs, wikis etc – everything that fosters authentic communication and interaction.

(table by Kern/Warschauer, 2000)

I think it is clear that the sociocognitve perspective goes along best with the Web 2.0. The Web 2.0 support social interaction, as well as authentic communication through its tools, such as blogs, wikis or social networks. Therefore, it is recommendable to implement the Web 2.0 into our teaching.