Reflection on essential reading for week 6

The paper examines the nature of theory-driven CALL and how it relates to the development process.

From my teaching experience, whether a CALL program is effective depends on how well the teacher strikes the balance between theory and practice. As Ginsberg (1988) stated that the field of artificial intelligence is divided between those who are primarily interested in solving problems by formulating theories (formalists) and those who prefer to solve problems by writing programs (proceduralists). I think each party has to collobrate well for implementing effective CALL program. Theories can consolidate teachers' belief on what materials teachers are going to use and how those materials are presented. You know, the information technology develops in an incredible rate. Very often, the development of theories may not catch up with that of technology. The extended space of what I.T. can do or achieve may be underestimated by teachers.

Also, I agree that having a solid knowledge of the media in the earliest stage can help build a stronger foundation in any CALL program since that helps teachers design and develop the CALL programs easier and in a more practical way. Do any teachers have interesting ideas in running CALL program?