Language Learning Resources on the Internet

Abstract

Recent developments in computer networking - made possible by the improved accessibility of the Internet, with email and online chat systems - are making a huge impact on Technology Enhanced Language Learning (TELL). For many of us, the Internet is as mysterious as were earlier developments in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and interactive multimedia. However, we would like to argue in this paper that with the growth of the Internet in education and greater user-friendliness, ease of access for non-computer experts is now more feasible. Specifically, there is a huge range of authentic language resources for TESOL teachers. Internet resources on the World Wide Web are many and varied, and are difficult to describe on the printed page. The Internet itself is a vast worldwide network of computers, first developed for the defence forces in the USA, and then used widely by academics, before spreading throughout all computerised societies. All Australian universities are connected to the Internet, as are many government organisations and businesses, and a rapidly growing number of schools and colleges are also joining in. The exchange of information on the Internet involves millions of computers around the world, many of them connected through home computers using modems on ordinary telephone lines.