Technology in the English Language Classroom : Computer-Assisted Grammar Learning

Abstract: As technology advances so does the availability of computer-assisted learning software. Since the Swedish curriculum and syllabus in the subject English do not state how teachers should teach grammar or what grammatical items they should focus on, it is left to the teachers to decide themselves. This thesis aims to investigate how one can make use of CALL, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, when teaching grammar in the English language classroom. The following three research questions are posed:  • In what ways is CALL used in teaching grammar?  • Are any of the different ways of using CALL more successful than others?  • What are the students’ reactions to using CALL as a means of learning grammar?  The questions are answered by analyzing the theoretical background of second language acquisition, as well as by analyzing ten articles about learning grammar with the help of modern technology. The findings show that there are more ways of using technology in a teaching environment than there are articles about it, and this thesis only covers a few of the different means of using CALL to teach grammar. The findings also show that the results of computer-assisted teaching and learning are overall positive, but it cannot be concluded whether this is because of the software or the novelty of using CALL. Some software shows better results than other, such as error correction software. The overall perceptions of using CALL in the classroom are overwhelmingly positive from both teachers’ and students’ perspective. Furthermore, the results show that the students believe that using technology to learn helps them more than it actually does, showing how it helps motivate students to acquire new knowledge by making it more interesting for them. All in all, the findings of the research give teachers an overview of the current progress of CALL, as well as giving them suggestions about how to incorporate technology in their own teaching.