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Over the last few years videos and Computer Assisted Language
Learning (CALL) have helped many learners to improve their English.
CD-ROM combines the benefits of video and CALL and is already
beginning to make a strong impact in language learning. How much
do you know about it? What does CD-ROM stand for? Compact Disk Read Only Memory. This means that you can read information
stored on the disk but not record anything new on it. This makes
it especially practical for schools or self-access centres where
there will be many CD-ROM users. What equipment do you need to use a CD-ROM program?  A personal computer with a minimum memory
of 8 megabytes and a 486 processor or higher. In addition you need
to have a sound card, speakers, a microphone and a CD-ROM drive.
With this equipment you now have a multimedia centre.
What can you do with a CD-ROM program? There are two main categories of program. There are language
reference CD-ROM programs such as dictionaries. You can look
up words you do not know and read their meaning(s); often there
are helpful illustrations. You can listen to how these words
are pronounced. And you can do all this extremely quickly - in
seconds. The second type of program is to help you on your language
learning course. Here is a description of some typical CD-ROM
language learning activities. Not all these activities are provided
on all CD-ROM programs. Programs differ depending on level
and content.
Listening practice
You can watch a short video or look at pictures and
listen to, for example, a conversation. The video is
an interesting and motivating way of helping you to
understand the language, especially if it shows you
people using the language in real situations. You can
then listen again and check your comprehension by answering
questions. You are in control of the program so you
can stop if you are finding an exercise difficult and
play the dialogue again for as long as you like. |
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Speaking practice
You can play the conversation again, listen and repeat
each sentence or phrase. You can record your own voice
and compare it with the CD-ROM recording. You can take
part in a conversation - playing one person (Mr/Mrs
A) - and respond to what Mr/Mrs B says - and then you
can play Mr/Mrs B. This can all be recorded and you
can hear yourself from beginning to end. You can do
these and similar exercises with the text visible or
not on the computer screen. Some programs may be available
in a version targeted for your nationality and you
will therefore be able to have instructions and translations
in your own language. |
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Exercises Many programs have a lot of practice activities which you can
work on at your own speed and in your own time to remind yourself
of Grammar, Spelling, Numbers, the Alphabet, Vocabulary or Pronunciation. Testing Many CD-ROM programs include a self-testing element: you can find
out how well you do by getting a score at the end of an exercise
or section of the CD-ROM! What are the benefits of using CD-ROM in a language learning
course? There are lots! You can work with a CD-ROM program alone, as fast
or as slowly as you like, focusing on your own particular needs.
You can practise points of grammar or pronunciation again and again;
there is not always time for this in your classroom activities.
You can revise and consolidate language you have just been taught
at a time convenient to you. Can a technophobe use CD-ROM? Yes. If you are not familiar with personal computers, you will
need to spend a short time getting to know how the keyboard works
and how to proceed through the program. However, the CD-ROM manufacturers
are now producing much more user-friendly programs to make them
accessible to everyone - even people who think a mouse is a small
grey animal fond of cheese! | 
