The methods, in which instructors make advantage of the computing machine, including multimedia stuff or cyberspace, have been progressively introduced into the linguistic communication instruction and larning. Such type of linguistic communication acquisition is called Computer-Assisted Language Learning ( henceforth, CALL ) . This tendency in linguistic communication acquisition is a merchandise of important betterment in the single processing capableness for a Personal computer and dependability betterment of web systems, non to advert the promotion of computing machine hardware itself. Furthermore, an nonsubjective and quantified aggregation of informations such as scholar ‘s principal has been organized, and research in this field contributes to the content of CALL stuff. Additionally, recent betterment in scholars ‘ computing machine literacy can besides be considered to hold played a important portion in the debut of CALL into category.

It is considered that a CALL practician has to concern him/herself to the issues about equipment and installations such as the debut of the sufficient figure of Personal computers, the care of the computing machine room, or development of stuffs aimed for linguistic communication acquisition. In other words, these are inevitable issues in that CALL is non to be implemented without computing machines. On the other manus, with the comparative enrichment of equipment or installations, there is the other sort of issues which needs to be addressed, viz. the affair of how CALL is integrated in learning methodological analysis and course of study in category. Although the debut of CALL may hold resulted in raising scholars ‘ motive in category, it has been reported that it does non straight lead to betterment of scholars ‘ public presentation ( Stenson et al. 1992, Schcolniketal. 1995 cited in Warschauer and Healey 1998 ) . In other words, it is non merely necessary to present a CALL stuff into category: without sing how and how frequently it is used harmonizing to category, its consequence can non be expected. With respect to this point, Levy and Stockwell ( 2006: 199 ) provinces that “ effectual usage of CALL in the schoolroom requires practicians to be cognizant of the restraints that the pick of certain engineerings brings, and how to cover with these restraints. ” This leads to the thought that, without suiting into the existent state of affairs where a stuff is introduced, it does non bring forth the coveted consequence no affair how good stuff is. Therefore, it can be said that one of import factor for the successful usage of CALL is adoptability of stuff to the existent instruction and acquisition state of affairss, and, in order to look into it, practicians need to measure stuff based on assorted facets.

The purpose of this paper is to measure a certain CALL web site, Using English for Academic Purpose ( henceforth, UEfAP ) .[ 1 ]At first, three chief attacks to Name rating are briefly overviewed and the item of the model applied in this paper is introduced in subdivision 2. Subsequently, in subdivision 3, UEfAP is evaluated based on the model mentioned in the old subdivision. Finally, reasoning comments are given in the last subdivision.

An Approach to Evaluation of CALL Material

As mentioned above, it is considered that one of the steps for effectual debut of CALL stuff into category is appropriate rating of the object stuff in progress. In other words, measuring CALL stuff harmonizing to whether it suits the purpose of category or whether its degree is appropriate for scholars can be the first measure to integrate it into category. Although this is besides the instance for rating of a traditional text edition used in category, more extended cheque is required for measuring CALL stuff in that there are more considerations such as sound, address acknowledgment, or pupil record maintaining, all of which are non included in text editions as paper-based media.

2.1 Evaluation Criteria for CALL

Approachs used in measuring CALL stuff can be approximately classified into three: checklist, methodological attack, and SLA-based attack ( Hubbard 2006 ) .

Checklist has been proposed in the early phase of research on rating and has still been widely used. Harmonizing to Hubbard ( 2006 ) , checklists have been criticized in that, for illustration, some put much focal point on engineering than learning methodological analysis and others are non thorough ; Susser ( 2001 ) , nevertheless, argues that the job does non lie in the construct itself but in its instantiations. In response to this point, Susser and Robb ( 2004: 288-290 ) propose the undermentioned consecutive procedures peculiarly with respect to rating of web-based stuff: ( a ) “ the showing procedure ” where the premiss for rating based on the acquisition environment and the purpose of larning are considered, ( B ) “ happening possible sites ” where sites, which are searched in footings of several cardinal words, are addressed by agencies of testing standards established in ( a ) , and ( degree Celsius ) “ making a checklist ” in which the model is used to make a checklist by choosing rules relevant to the state of affairs. In other words, checklists are non applied as they are but are adapted for a given state of affairs and consequently updated. As for the advantage of a checklist, it seems to do instructors acknowledge assorted points associating to a package application. In peculiar, it is considered to be practical for instructors who make usage of CALL stuff in their lessons for the first clip but have small cognition about rating.

Although a methodological attack convergences with a checklist attack in some points, they are different in the undermentioned two points ( Hubbard 2006 ) : methodological models are aimed at depicting instead than judging in their signifier ; they are designed to tie in with the facet which is outside of engineering, that is, considerations for linguistic communication instruction and acquisition. With respect to the first point, it can be considered that methodological models enable instructors to do in-depth rating in that they may be required non to give likely binary and ready opinion on bing points but to do a elaborate analysis of it through description based on the state of affairs. Hubbard ( 1988 cited in Hubbard 2006 ) presents the chief standards for CALL rating, developing three linguistic communication learning methods proposed by Richards and Rodgers ( 1982, 2001 ) , viz. attack, design, and methods, into “ teacher tantrum, ” “ learner tantrum, ” and “ operational description ” severally, and adding “ proficient prevue ” to these three standards. The item of these standards is overviewed in the following subdivision.

On the other manus, SLA-based attack is peculiarly based on SLA theory and it exploits findings from non-CALL research to accommodate them to CALL. Chapelle ( 2001 ) focuses non merely on CALL package but besides on activities and scholars ‘ public presentation. She proposes the rules for measuring CALL stuff underscoring on such elements as a situation-specific statement, SLA theory, the intent of the undertaking, judgemental analysis of package and undertakings, empirical analysis of scholars ‘ public presentation, and most significantly, linguistic communication larning possible. On the footing of them, Chapelle ( 2001: 55 ) suggests the following six standards: ( a ) linguistic communication larning possible, ( B ) scholar tantrum, ( degree Celsius ) significance focal point, ( vitamin D ) genuineness, ( vitamin E ) positive impact, and ( degree Fahrenheit ) practicality. Given the infinite restriction, this paper can non take these in item, but they are compatible with standards both in checklist attacks and methodological models in some respects ; standards ( B ) , for illustration, seems to be consistent with the construct of “ learner tantrum ” in Hubbard ‘s model.

This paper adopt Hubbard ‘s ( 1992, 1996, 2006 ) model to measure CALL stuff since the methodological models can be considered to be more impersonal than SLA-based attack which has its footing on the Task-Based Approach as exemplified in, for case, ( degree Celsius ) significance forcus or ( vitamin D ) genuineness in the above Chapelle ‘s standards, while all three attacks stated supra have their advantages as Hubbard ( 2006 ) references. The undermentioned subdivision refers this model in item.

2.2 Methodological model

Hubbard ( 2006 ) defines rating as the procedure of choice, execution, and appraisal: choice refers to the stage in which CALL stuff is judged its adoptability for a given acquisition state of affairs ; execution, on the other manus, refers to the stage of attesting the effectual manner to implement a given stuff in that scene ; eventually, appraisal is the stage where practician estimates its consequence and Judgess whether it is continued to utilize or is adjusted to future usage. Although, as Hubbard ( 2006 ) says, there is no difference with the grade of importance among these three phases, this paper is concerned in the first phase of rating.

Harmonizing to Hubbard ( 1992, 1996, 2006 ) , the choice phase in rating involves four chief constituents: ( a ) proficient reappraisal, ( B ) operational description, ( degree Celsius ) instructor tantrum, and ( vitamin D ) scholar tantrum. Each constituent is briefly described as follow:

( a ) Technical reappraisal

The most cardinal concern here is whether a given stuff will run adequately on the equipment used by instructors and scholars. More specifically, this appraisal involves assorted positions such as simpleness of installing and un-installation, velocity of plan operation, dependability of operation, platform compatibility, screen design and direction, user interface, development of computing machine potency, and the remainder. Furthermore, issues of bandwidth and waiter entree are besides the proficient affair.

( B ) Operational description ( process )

Appraisal here is ever required to be made with respect to such activity types as instructional ( e.g. tutorial or text Reconstruction ) , collaborative ( e.g. game or simulation ) , or facilitative ( e.g. geographic expedition ) . In other words, an judge is required to look into what types of activities the package offer, how good they are designed, and what scholars do utilizing them.

( degree Celsius ) Teacher tantrum ( Approach )

In this appraisal, an judge tries to look into the implicit in theoretical model of stuff such as a structural, functional, interactive attack to linguistic communication, and to judge whether it is compatible with theories of cognitive development, SLA, and schoolroom methodological analysis.

( vitamin D ) Learner tantrum ( Design )

The concern here is how good the contents, accomplishments and lingual degree of stuffs meet the scholars ‘ demands, manners and involvements of intended scholars particularly with respects to the aims in the class course of study. In item, stuff can be evaluated on the footing of scholar variables as follows: single scholar differences ( e.g. age, sex, L1, introverted vs. extrospective scholars ) , larning manners ( e.g. acknowledgment, callback, comprehension, and experiential acquisition ) , larning schemes ( e.g. field-dependent/-independent logical thinking, deductive/inductive logical thinking, visual-graphic/visual-textual acquisition ) , learner control, design flexibility/ modifiability by instructors and/or scholars.

Evaluation is made linearly based on these four constituents, and, in peculiar, the appraisal in scholar tantrum and instructor tantrum provenders into ( vitamin D ) rightness opinions and ( vitamin E ) execution strategies which are more likely to associate with the execution phase. In appraisal of rightness opinions, on the footing of the opinion following instructor tantrum and scholar tantrum, an judge makes a determination to learn scholars with a given stuff or non, taking the costs and benefits of execution into consideration as good. On the other manus, in appraisal of execution strategies, an judge needs to reflect on how stuffs might be fit into the class: in peculiar, these includes handiness, preparatory and follow-up activities, content readying, and a figure of teacher control such as the instruction attack, schoolroom direction, site monitoring, pupil records, and teacher authoring possibilities. Although execution is the affair which occurs after choice of stuff in rating, sing the manner of execution seems utile for finding how to utilize it efficaciously and may act upon whether it is used in category or non. Therefore, although this paper particularly trades with the four chief constituents from ( a ) to ( vitamin D ) , it seems of import to maintain considerations of execution in head during rating.

In the undermentioned subdivision, a peculiar web-based stuff is evaluated on the footing on Hubbard ‘s standards.

Evaluation of UEfAP

To get down with, this subdivision mentions the context to which CALL stuff would be introduced, and later, the site, UEfAP, is evaluated with respect to Hubbard ‘s standards in bend.

3.1 Teaching Situation

This paper posits a 10-weeks category in pre-sessional EAP ( English for academic intent ) class where the pupils come from assorted states, have different cultural backgrounds, speak in different L1, vary with their age normally from 22 to 35, and intend to go to a alumnus programme after completing the class. In the debut of web-based stuff, the pupils are expected to better their academic usage of English, which is antecedently taught in category, chiefly by self-study outside of category.

3.2 General Description

UEfAP is a free web site which consists of stuffs and exercisings for larning academic English. This web site started for people who want to utilize English for academic intents on 1st May 1999, and last updated on 28th March 2011. The writer of the web site is Dr. Andy Gillet who runs the English linguistic communication and educational consulting company affecting a scope of undertakings including stuff design, class planning, back uping EAP instructors ‘ development. The site covers all accomplishments needed for Academic English, and there are accounts and a good trade of exercisings for each accomplishment. In item, it is consists of 11 subdivisions: “ About, ” “ Accuracy, ” “ Assessment, ” “ Background, ” “ Links, ” “ Listening, ” “ Materials, ” “ Reading, ” “ Speaking, ” “ Vocabulary, ” and “ Writing. ” Each subdivision is divided into subdivisions based on the linguistic communication constituent or the accomplishment.

3.3 Technical Preview

It can be assumed that scholars can easy utilize UEfAP on all platforms. First, because it is the web-based stuff, scholars need non to install/uninstall any package. Second, the “ About ” subdivision includes the site map and the picture cartridge holder direction for the whole programme in which users can cognize how to utilize the site. Third, although it contains much information, it should non take long to burden pages since the site consists of many pages so that information could be subdivided. Furthermore, external links or long texts in exercisings are set to be opened in a new window ; so users can see farther information while continuing the current page.

Furthermore, pilotage seems consistent and rather clear. The screen is divided into two parts: the left portion, which is a fixed infinite holding bill of fare buttons, and the right portion, where information appears. The left border of the right infinite is colored harmonizing to the colour of bill of fare button on the left portion so that users can easy cognize their current location. In add-on, it can be said that the site is besides self-explanatory in that each subdivision has its debut in which scholars can cognize the end in a given subdivision.

The site exploits computing machine potency such as www connectivity and sound every bit good as picture cartridge holder direction as stated above. It contains a broad scope of external links ; for illustration, many outside resources or linguistic communication classs are introduced in the “ Links ” subdivision where users can travel onto other web sites in order to take relevant classs or to make farther exercises harmonizing to their involvements and demands. Users can besides easy travel back to the chief bill of fare by snaping the logo grade on every page, and mention other pages in the same site associating a given subject by following hyperlinks. Additionally, it makes usage of sound recorded in RealAudio format, Windows Media format and/or MP3 format. On the exercising page in the Listening subdivision, users are required to download one of RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player or Flash Player by snaping a nexus button on the page if their Personal computers are non equipped with any of them. Unfortunately, users can take sound participants merely in some exercisings, so they have to download, for illustration, Real Player if a given exercising provides sound merely in the RealAudio format.

3.3 Operational Description ( Procedure )

As mentioned above, the website screens all linguistic communication accomplishments including reading, speech production, listening, vocabulary, and composing while the contents related to them are specified into Academic English. Linguistic focal point is good balanced in that, for illustration, the Speaking subdivision focuses on pronunciation, the Writing subdivision focuses on sentence structure and spelling, and the Vocabulary subdivision puts its focal point on lexis and morphology.

It chiefly offers a scope of instructional activities such as tutorials, text Reconstruction and drills, and particularly for the word lists of Academic English in the Vocabulary subdivision, there is the facilitative activity in that scholars can look in the online lexicon ( Cambridge Advanced Learner ‘s Dictionary ) to see the definition of words. Each activity is presented diversely.

Take, the text Reconstruction activity for vocabulary edifice, for illustration: it is presented by agencies of multiple-choice exercisings, fiting exercisings, or gap-fills. In these exercisings, scholars receive information by agencies of text and are required to snap the possible reply, to drag a word to the appropriate place, or to straight type the right word into spaces. With respect to gap-fills, the site does non expect scholars ‘ responses by offering information on misspellings or other possible replies, and it does non accept misspelled replies. On the other manus, about half of all exercisings provide feedback for scholars ‘ responses. In several exercisings, the wrong portion of a response is highlighted so that scholars could rehear a given exercising based on it. With respect to this, although scholars can reiterate a given exercising to rectify their errors, the entire mark will go lower if they do so. This is besides the instance with utilizing intimations to work out a inquiry in some exercisings.

As for other types of exercisings, which deal with a longer text ( e.g. the exercising in which scholars listen to a talk or a presentation and compose down them in academic written words or exercising where scholars are asked to rephrase or sum up the original text ) , a suggested reply is given because there is no individual reply for a inquiry. Furthermore, some exercisings have uncomplete answer keys. For case, “ listening trial ” portion of the Listening subdivision have no reply, or some of the trials for “ coverage ” portion of the Writing subdivision merely state “ Show your replies to person. If you are in one of my categories, e-mail the paraphrase/summary/synthesis to me. ”

It is notable that, in the “ Material ” subdivision, there are checklists named “ EAP Needs ” for each accomplishment so that scholars can utilize them to place what their Academic English linguistic communication demands are and their ability in each country. This allows scholars and/or instructors to custom-make lessons to the course of study.

As a whole, the web site is complementary to things being taught in category in that it non merely offers a broad scope of instructional exercisings associated with the contents in category but besides provides information by which scholars can reexamine information given in category. Furthermore, it can be auxiliary to category every bit good. The elaborate procedure of vocabulary acquisition, for illustration, may non be taught in category because of the limited clip of the EAP class, so information on the site can be utile for scholars to obtain extra information.

3.4 Teacher Fit ( Approach )

The writer of the site states that EAP is a subdivision of ESP ( English for Specific Purpose ) , mentioning Robbinson ‘s ( 1991 ) standards for ESP classs ; for illustration, it should be based on a needs analysis to be geared to scholars ‘ demands and that a really high degree of proficiency and truth is non required every bit long as scholars can win in acquiring good Markss for assignments ( Gillet 1996 ) . Therefore, it can be assumed that the writer has committed to the Content-Based attack to linguistic communication acquisition. However, the website itself can be considered to an illustration of tutorial CALL and the writer bases this plan on a structural and behavioristic attack to linguistic communication in that the site likely focuses on each lingual degree and expects scholars strengthen accomplishments for these degrees through a scope of instructional activities such as drills.

Although the site may be designed for self-access usage, it can be integrated to a schoolroom course of study as a auxiliary and complementary to category. One ground for this is that the writer has carefully built the site grouping the contents harmonizing to accomplishments and sub-skills and offering more than two different types of exercisings for each accomplishment ; hence instructors could selectively use a certain portion or a certain exercising on the footing of the point to which scholars need to turn to or of scholars ‘ manner. Additionally, as mentioned above, the intent of larning a peculiar accomplishment or sub-skill is clearly stated in the debut of each subdivision, so that scholars may understand the grounds why peculiar accomplishments are of import for their acquisition and how they improve these accomplishments.

3.5 Learner Fit ( Design )

The pre-sessional EAP class consists of pupils who vary in age, states, cultural backgrounds, involvements, L1, or larning manner as stated above. However, all pupils are by and large of similar ability ( i.e. vantage or intermediate ) for English which is tested before go toing the class, and they every bit want to better their accomplishments for the academic usage of English in progress of the start of their alumnus programme. Therefore, the course of study of exercisings in the web site addresses the specific demands of scholars. They are grouped harmonizing to functional intents in that they are arranged non on a come oning graduated table of trouble, but on accomplishments or sub-skills.

Furthermore, the exercisings focus on different larning manners such as acknowledgment, callback, and comprehension. Take, the exercisings in the Writing subdivision, for illustration. The exercising for rewriting the text which has many spelling errors enable scholars to acknowledge common spelling errors and the importance of proofreading, and the multiple-choice exercisings and the baffled sentence exercisings for composing a mention list after being taught how to compose it in category aid scholars heighten callback. Furthermore, the exercisings for placing the subject of inquiry or for reordering words to construct the paragraph promote scholars ‘ comprehension of the types of research inquiries or the form of set uping paragraphs severally.

Furthermore, although about exercisings are intended for single work, scholars are required to work on by a brace or a group in some exercisings in the Speaking subdivision. In these exercisings, one scholar expression at a image A and another scholar expression at a image B which is somewhat different from A ; so scholars are required to depict ain images and inquire inquiries about other ‘s image in order to happen the differences between them without looking at each other ‘s. This is besides the instance with a group work except that three images ( A, B and C ) are prepared for it.

Refering the recording map for scholars ‘ responses, the web site has no option to maintain the tonss, to enter the figure of efforts and wrong replies, and to maintain path of entire clip spent on an exercising ; so scholars have to maintain their ain tonss by themselves to do them available to the instructor. In add-on, scholars can non salvage completed exercisings after discontinuing the plan.

Last, it should be noticed that some exercisings seems excessively drawn-out and demanding even for the motivated scholars. In some exercisings for the “ General Listening ” trial in the Listening subdivision, for case, scholars are required to make full more than 150 spreads with listening to the address infusion, or, in some exercisings for the “ Pronunciation ” portion of the Speaking subdivision, scholars are expected to transcribe the text, which includes entire 245 words, utilizing the IPA symbols. These exercisings may pall scholars.

Decision

UEfAP is a utile free resource of stuffs and exercises non merely for autonomous scholar but besides for instructors who intend to present tutorial CALL to their category. On the other manus, it has some defects as follows: some exercisings have uncomplete reply keys or feedback ; some may be fatigue because of their length ; the site has no options to salvage scholars ‘ responses or clip spent on an exercising, which means that it does non to the full exploit the computing machine potency to supply chances for learner-computer interaction. Therefore, when instructors decide to implement the web site in their category, they need to selectively use it. In peculiar, in the phase of execution strategies after rating, instructors need to carefully see how it might be fit into the class.

Although CALL has gained attending in assorted educational environments and there is important betterment in equipment and installations, it has been pointed out the trouble of incorporating CALL stuff in category because the debut entirely can non take educational effectivity. In this state of affairs, doing careful and in-depth rating can be the most effectual indicant of make up one’s minding whether it is appropriate for one of the class stuffs, and how it is implemented into category. Furthermore, detecting assorted possible jobs can be besides conducive factor to successful debut of CALL ; that is, rating enables a practician to suitably and instantly cover with such jobs when they occur in existent usage.