Call–Non-English L2 Instruction

Abstract

Research in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has neither traditionally nor recently had a language or setting-specific emphasis, one that would have established a distinction between second language learning (SLL) as opposed to foreign language learning (FLL) applications in its attempts to answer principled CALL questions. For example the two anthologies of essays, studies, and reports on CALL theory and practice by Smith (1987; 1989), the papers on CALL research compiled by Dunkel (1991b), and the collection of international perspectives edited by Pennington and Stevens (1992) summarize work done in the 1980s and provide directions and guidelines for work to be done in the 1990s with implications for both SLL and FLL. As this continues to be the case in recent CALL research, an FLL emphasis in the chapter of non-English L2 instructional context has been maintained exclusively for the discussion of software; whenever the rationale for the design and implementation of FLL software was based on second language acquisition theory or findings from empirical ESL-oriented CALL investigations, the respective research source was examined and cited.