Annotated CALL links

(Last updated: November 30, 2000)

This collection concentrates on CALL itself without referencing to CALL materials.

Metalinks

• Claire Bradin Siskin: http://edvista.com/claire/index.html. This is pretty much you'll ever need to get started with CALL.
• Web-based learning resources libraray: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/library/web-learning. Check this out if you want to do some web stuff.

Authoring tools

Using client-side programming

• Hot Potatoes (from Half-baked Potatoes)  (web.uvic.ca./hrd/halfbaked/): Freeware. Strongly recommended. It allows you to implement various interactive language exercises such as multiple-choice, cloze, short-answer quiz, etc. on the web. Interactivity is mainly programmed using JavaScript into the webpages.
• Dreamweaver (www.dreamweaver.com): Dreamweaver is THE webpage authoring tool used by professional web designers. It has many built-in JavaScript enabled functions suitable for designing language learning exercises. You need to buy Dreamweaver Attain in order to take the advantage of those advanced features.
• Interactive Exercises Maker (lang.swarthmore.edu/makers): Yet another template-driven interactive page generator, providing similar capabilities to HotPotato. It is web-browser based and hence you do not need to install any third-party software on your local machine.

Using server-side programming

• CourseInfo: Course management system which has been deployed at many US universities. For a sample demonstration, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/courseinfo.
• WebCT (www.webct.com): It is a tool to facilitate a web-based learning environment. It is a server based system which requires system administrators to maintain. If you have the necessary resources and expertise, you can download a free copy and give it a try.
• Microsoft FrontPage2000: Webpage authoring tool with some built-in capabilities for server-side processing.

Tutorials

• Knowledge Design (www.duc.auburn.edu/~mitrege/knowledge/): Entry level tutorials on the basics of webpage design, JavaScript programming, etc.. Examples are in foreign language instruction.
• WebMonkey (www.webmonkey.com): They offer excellent tutorials (with enough details) on almost all topics related to internet technology. Check it out if you are serious about designing web-based interactive CALL courseware.

Professional journal

• TESL-EJ (www.zait.uni-bremen.de/wwwgast/tesl_ej/index.html)
  (Mirror site: www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/)
• Language Learning and Technology (llt.msu.edu):

Online course and syllabus

• Postgraduate Courses in CALL & TELL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/GrahamDavies1/courses.htm
• Computers in Language Teaching and Research (ec.hku.hk/macomp/Default.htm): Entry level training materials for CALL trainees.
• Wong has a list of links to CALL courses offered in the US.
• John Higgins, one of the pioneers in CALL: http://www.stir.ac.uk/celt/staff/higdox/msc_call.htm,
  Curriculum: http://www.stir.ac.uk/celt/staff/higdox/callsyll.htm#mc4

Designing issues

• Web-based Language Learning Materials: An Interactive Presentation by Martin Holmes: Read this to know the potentials and limitations of current computer technology for language instruction.