Swedish upper-secondary school ESL and EFL teachers' perceptions of and experiences from CALL software

Abstract: Computer-Assisted Language Learning, more simply abbreviated as "CALL", dates back to the 60s, 70s and 80s. Tested in language laboratories, pioneer CALL software was limited to very simply mechanical exercises on a stationary PC machine. By the year of 2016, product innovation has brought CALL software development into a new dimension. Today, we not only witness the growth of learning management systems, but also mobile learning beyond the traditional boundaries of a classroom. Software for learning has become so powerful that some educational institutions have chosen to move their entire pedagogic activity online, attempting to meet the demands of students who live by the paradigm of life-long learning and who need to keep pace with the knowledge economy. For some educators, such novelties have become a solution in terms of lessening the heavy work burden and optimizing personal time, whereas for others they only brought with new dilemmas and challenges in terms of what role a teacher has vis-à-vis the role of CALL software. Due to the complexity of the issue, there are unfortunately too few global-scale studies on the topic of how English teachers perceive and experience CALL software, as well as on the potential implications of such software in language pedagogy. In truth, most such studies are restricted to a certain country or a geographical region, and the topic is therefore under-represented and under-researched. Most studies are in effect only pieces of a large puzzle. Focusing on the county of Skåne in southern Sweden, the current survey-based study adds one bit to this puzzle, aiming at gaining more insight into how ESL and EFL teachers in southern Sweden perceive and experience CALL software. Perhaps, this study may subsequently also be replicated on a nationwide level in Sweden.