Kern and Warschauer

The Kern and Warschauer article discussed the evolution of language learning pedagogy. The grammar-based, structural systems (grammar translation method, audiolingual method) were overtaken in popularity by the cognitive/constructivist approach, only to transition later to the sociocognitive perspective, which takes into account the social structures surrounding the learner. The utilization of CALL has also mirrored these trends, advancing from more structural approaches to cognitive and then cognitive to sociocognitive. This transition is described by Crook (1994 in Kern and Warschauer, 2000) as moving from “computer-as-tutor” to “computer-as-pupil” to “computer-as-tool.”

I enjoyed the authors’ approach to summarizing language learning theories and bringing them to date to see how they relate to the use of computers for learning. It was interesting to see the somewhat dated language used in the chapter, as well as to read about processes and tools that weren’t necessarily readily available even just eight years ago; both of which indicate the rapid advances CALL.