Implementing computer-assisted language learning in the teaching of second language listening skills.

摘要

With the advent of new technology, more programs become available for the integration of technology inside second language classrooms. Especially exciting, is the enhancement that such tools allow in the skill of listening. For years, listening comprehension has been taught through the use of audio cassette tapes that do not provide an authentic setting for adequate acquisition. To help develop an effective way to teach listening to second language students, this paper researched how computer-assisted language learning (CALL) could be used in listening instruction in order to enhance outcomes. To research this, a qualitative study that included the observations of two Spanish language courses were conducted during the month of October at a major Midwestern university in the United States. During the observations, academic field notes were taken to analyze each professor's approach to teaching listening with technology. Each class had around twenty students and was instructed in a technology laboratory developed for second language studies. When compared to research on this topic, listening comprehension was found to be conducted in either a top-down or bottom-up approach with the incorporation of audiovisual materials and the use of Internet podcasts. It was observed that most of the listening instruction was done via a content-based approach that closely followed topics in each class's textbook. With these findings, the author recommends that an integrative approach to listening, that includes the use of specific listening strategies, be implemented with the incorporation of audiovisual technology materials in order to give students an idea of specific listening contexts.