The History of Educational Technology in Language Education

  • Period: to

    Before CALL

  • School Slates & Chalkboards

    School Slates & Chalkboards
    Due to their affordability, school slates and chalkboards were widely utilized throughout the 1800s. They were almost always available in language classes.
  • Phonetic Laboratory

    Phonetic Laboratory
    Washington State College students are learning about the sounds of language in the phonetics lab.
  • Period: to

    Behaviouristic CALL

    Repetition was a crucial component of learning according to behavioristic theories, which formed the foundation of CALL's initial phase. Drill and practice were quite popular, and kids were exposed to this repetition through the usage of computers. (Beatrice,2015)
  • Skinner Teaching Machine

    Skinner Teaching Machine
    The device is a rectangular wooden box with a metal cover that swings open and has windows. There are questions and answers inscribed along the radii of different paper discs that fit within. In the window closer to the center, one question is displayed at a time. The learner advances the mechanism and writes their response on the paper tape to the right. While hiding his response so that it cannot be modified, this reveals the true response.
  • Phonogpraph & Reel-to-Reel Tape Records

    Phonogpraph & Reel-to-Reel Tape Records
    in the 1960s and 1970s. According to Wilkinson (2016), early technological innovations like phonograph records and reel-to-reel tapes were used to enhance listening and drill routines. (Al-Kadi, 2018)
  • Casettes

    Casettes
    The old reel-to-reel recorders were pricey and difficult to operate. The development of the cassette tape made it possible for anybody to record audio without the specialized knowledge or training needed for reel-to-reel.
  • Mainframe Computers

    Mainframe Computers
    A mainframe computer improved the effectiveness of the drill-and-practice rehearsal. Language teachers and professionals who used the grammar-translation technique relied on such tools to create isolated and discrete competences (sometimes out of context). (Al-Kadi,2015)
  • Period: to

    Communicative CALL

    As a result of theories relating to communicative language education, the computer's function in language classrooms evolved (which fostered teaching grammar implicitly rather than explicitly and placed all the emphasis on communication)
  • Period: to

    Integrative CALL and the Internet

  • First Personal Computer

    First Personal Computer
    In 1981 IBM introduces the first personal computer. To improve accuracy and fluency, communicative exercises were conducted on personal computers.
  • The Worldwide Web

    The Worldwide Web
    As the Communicative model lost popularity, a brand-new, task- and project-based methodology emerged. Furthermore, two incredibly important technologies were developed: multimedia (and hypermedia) and the internet. (Beatrice,2015) However, by 1996 it became more acceptable to use in homes and in schools.
  • The Versant Test

    The Versant Test
    Versant tests were the first completely automated spoken language examinations that evaluated non-native speakers' spoken language proficiency.
  • Interactive Whiteboard

    Interactive Whiteboard
    An interactive whiteboard called the SMART Board is made by SMART Technologies. In 1991, SMART unveiled the first SMART Board interactive whiteboard. These boards are currently used all over the world in classrooms, lecture halls, group meetings, and presentations.
  • Web 0.2

    Web 0.2
    In 1999, as the Internet began to shift toward a system that actively engaged users, the phrase "Web 2.0" first entered common usage. Instead of only consuming material, users were urged to provide their own. (Kenton,2022)
  • Tablets

    Tablets
    Tablets are portable and can be used in the classroom by students to access applications, movies, listening materials, language games, and other content.
  • References

    Bates, A. W. (Tony), and A. W. Bates. “6.2 a Short History of Educational Technology – Teaching in A Digital Age.” 6.2 a Short History of Educational Technology – Teaching in A Digital Age, opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/section-8-1-a-short-history-of-educational-technology. Accessed 9 Nov. 2022.
  • References

    BEATRICE, GUAZZI. “A Brief History of Technology in Language Teaching.” A Brief History of Technology in Language Teaching | Technology in Language Teaching, 22 Feb. 2015, guazzibeatrice.wordpress.com/2015/02/22/a-brief-history-of-technology-in-language-teaching.
    Kenton, Will. “How Do Smart Boards Work? | Techwalla.” Techwalla, 3 Feb. 2022, www.techwalla.com/articles/how-do-smart-boards-work.
  • References

    Springgay, Jessica . “What Is the History of the SMART Board?” Techwalla, www.techwalla.com/articles/what-is-the-history-of-the-smart-board. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.
    John, Cheryl. “The Evolution and Impact of Technology in Language Education – Technology and the Curriculum: Summer 2018.” The Evolution and Impact of Technology in Language Education – Technology and the Curriculum: pressbooks.pub/techandcurriculum/chapter/technology-assisted-language-learning. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.
  • References

    Al-Kadi, A. (2018). A review of technology integration in ELT: From CALL to MALL.
    Language Teaching and Educational Research (LATER), 1(1), 1-12.