CALL IN CONTEXT: FRENCH MEANS BUSINESS

Abstract

Increased student numbers and declining fee income have focused attention on the need for efficient and innovative teaching in British universities. Meanwhile, a number of initiatives have encouraged a policy of integration of IT into the teaching and learning process. It is, however, far from clear what pedagogical rationale is appropriate for advanced language teaching, especially when materials development and research into applied pedagogy are undervalued. Studies have also shown that levels of grammatical knowledge and communicative competence in both first year and final year students in British universities vary greatly, and, more seriously, are in some cases indistinguishable. The CALL software produced by government‐funded consortia is intended to help remedy this situation, but more than a ‘remedial’ strategy is required if investment in hardware is to be justified by demonstrable outcomes. For this to happen, we have to see how the overall ‘learning environment’ has been modified by economic forces and develop appropriate strategies for countering the negative aspects of change. The experience of designing, delivering and refining the systems and materials involved in delivering a ‘French for Business’ course is then generalised with a view to showing how new thinking about the nature of university teaching might be combined by the development of more effective CALL programs for advanced language learners about to enter the world of work.