Internet Executive English Course

CALL (Computer-aided language learning) will never replace the classroom, just as the classroom will never replace the real world. CALL can, however, provide people with certain needs with an effective study tool. Some people don't have room in their schedule for classroom or tutored training. Others simply don't have access to English in their environment, and would also like access to a native speaker. Others are looking for a way to enhance their ongoing English language training. In creating a business English course for the Internet, I have been involved in a project to address these needs in creative ways.

Over the Internet, sophisticated assessment of the student's abilities is possible through automatic scoring algorithms and access to a database. These technology-based features are what distinguishes e-learning from traditional correspondence courses. The course, Executive English, http://www.executiveenglish.com, was designed to exploit the possibilities of Internet technology. It provides a high degree of interactivity in the lessons as well as the ability to track and analyze all users' activity. A tracking and report card system allows the teacher to monitor student activity throughout the course and shape the student's experience to any extent he or she wishes. This technology also gives the student greater self-sufficiency. He or she now has the ablity to chart a path though the course based upon computer-generated assessments of his or her strengths and weaknesses. The combination of computer assessment and teacher guidance gives the student a highly individualized context within which to learn.

The fundamental principle of the Executive English course is that people learn best when the context is clear. Everything that goes into a lesson is designed to build a context in the mind of the user. Each unit is carefully constructed to create a situation that will yield the grammatical structures, vocabulary and functional language in their most natural business setting. Building a rich context requires careful pacing so as not to overload the learner. At the same time, it is vital to keep the learner challenged. This is why the course is designed with a high degree of interactivity. The learner participates every step of the way, taking in information at his own pace and confirming through his interaction that he understands the concepts. Everything within a unit relates to a distinct storyline. Units have continuity structured around a core listening selection. This selection, which appears on the Listening Comprehension page, is the heart of the unit. It contains all of the structures, vocabulary, and functions introduced in the lesson as they are used by the characters.

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