Instrumental Technologies vs Teaching Instruments: 
A challenge for Computational Linguists 
Robert Debski 
The Horwood Language Centre 
The University of Melbourne 
Grattan Street 
Parkville, Vic 3052, Australia 
debski@leland.stanford.edu 
As language learning theories shifted fi'om 
belief in rote practice to communicative 
approaches, CALL--initially in consonance with 
the on-going practice--found itself increasingly 
at odds with teaching goals, and, consequently, 
was placed outside of the classroom. In order to 
increase the quality of human-computer 
interaction, CALL specialists turned to CL and 
AI. This resulted in the creation of simulations 
and text manipulation programs designed to 
expand students' exposure to a foreign language 
outside of the classroom, or to take over the 
teaching of chosen language skills lending 
themselves to computerization. Emphasis on 
cognitive processes in language learning 
inspired the building of small environments in 
which students could learn through exploration 
in ways similar to those proposed for 
mathematics by Logo advocates. Computer 
technology, however, did not fulfill the 
expectations of language teachers. 
Networking and multimedia seem to offer an 
answer to the issue of making CALL more 
compliant with communicative teaching by 
fostering human to human communication and 
creative endeavor, as students engage 
themselves in learning driven by goal-oriented 
tasks. Computer mediation has stopped being 
synonymous with language practice in a 
linguistically impoverished environment. Just 
the reverse, contemporary network-based 
multimedia environments can increase the 
amount of comprehensible input both in and out 
of the classroom, supporting language 
acquisition from diversified input. This new 
language learning notion has already had impact 
on teaching practice. 
Although emphasizing the importance of 
bringing language learners together, network- 
based environments will continue to contain 
thesauri and lexicons, such as GLEn-D. Housed 
in Stanford's Sybase, this Polish-English 
learners' dictionary offers lookup of word flwms 
returning sound and graphics, and offering 
access to a discourse database. The currently 
available Macintosh front-end can easily be 
ported to other platforms, including the Web. 
Future network-based teaching/learning 
environments may contain personalized 
information filtering systems, determining 
contents and language levels of available 
materials. Software employing NLP methods 
may track communication between distanced 
learners, keep logs of errors, and suggest areas 
of further study. The fast development of the 
Internet has increased the availability of 
resources for sell'instructed language study. 
Although interpersonal connections should 
remain at the core of any learning environment, 
interactive instruments of linguistic inquiry, 
individualization, and assessment are important 
elements of such systems in the absence of 
teachers. In addition to investigating human- 
computer interactions, CALL employing CL 
methods will focus on the mediational use of 
computers in which identification, access and 
sharing of resources, and human-to-human 
contact play a significant role. 
Networks connect not only learners and 
teachers, but also resources. SKRYBA--a 
module for self-adaptive practice of Polish 
orthography--is part of a whole system of 
applications. It is responsible for rule-based 
analysis of texts and preparation of code to be 
passed over and executed by a blanking 
application (Zippity-Zap), producing an 
exercise with deletions in places identified by 
the system as succeptible to orthographic errors. 
Student completions are returned to SKRYBA 
and analysed. GLEn-D is consulted by 
SKRYBA whenever specific information (e.g., 
part of speech) is needed to facilitate blanking 
or interpretation. 
1014 
Developing network-based learning 
environments calls for collaboration. New 
solutions to issues surrounding language and its 
acquisition are more likely to emerge from 
exchange of ideas between disciplines, rather 
than from convictions entrenched within a 
single field. 
1015 
