Linguistics and literature - Research Proposal Example

11 ]. Moreover, CALL has come to be an umbrella for research that covers both 'learning' and 'teaching' while at the outset the focus was more on the practical applications of learning. Now, CALL incorporates or envelopes a number of different platforms or mediums for delivery [Cole, 2000, 4]. In particular, expansion has been made particularly in the area of multi media [Bickerton, 1999] such as interactive whiteboards, multi-media podcasts, various social networking applications, wiki-group pages, In many regards, the wider range of tools used in CALL make the original definition of it difficult.

The relative complexity of tools incorporated in contemporary terms, are far more expansive than what was utilized at the outset or back to the 1980's. For advanced language learning, CALL is but one component of a wider array or nexus of computer based applications which analyze discourse and compare and establish things like lexical indexes, and comparative analysis for terminology, and common patterns of language usage. Aside from the technologies themselves that are employed, CALL is an integration or a network that includes students, instructors and researchers.

One cannot really separate or isolate the actual technologies from this dynamic or relationship. For present purposes of the proposal, the focus of the analysis will be on the research side CALL [Jager, et al, 1999, 34]. Research requires a “perspective on CALL which provides appropriate empirical research methods for investigating the critical questions about how CALL can be used to improve instructed Second Language Acquisition” [Chappelle, 1997, 21] and also, asks how “good is the language experience” [Chappelle, 1997, 22].

Research also involves a solid understanding of the teaching process involved with computer assisted learning. Thus, it is proposed that the analysis and research will focus on the applications that are used within CALL that can best serve as tools for evaluating texts – and in turn, student interaction with texts [see: Warschauer and Kern, 1999, pp. 12ff]. This analysis will use two examples of post-modern fiction as a test-case for CALL. What will be examined in this study, is whether or not the notion of 'self attainment' from a post-modern perspective can be taught.

To this end, the analysis will develop a theoretical perspective on two characters in separate works of fiction and in turn, a working definition of what post modern is, given that there is no single definition of it [Greer, 2003, 18] and what 'self attainment' means within this context. These individuals will be analyzed and presented such that a framework will be established for teaching this theory through some form of CALL. As this will involve the triad mentioned above regarding students, instructors and researchers, the study will focus on how each of these can contribute to the overall outcomes.

Measured or evaluated in this regard, will be the learner outcomes which will be examined from a number of different paradigms for language acquisition outcomes [Lynch, 1996, pp. 44-8; 61ff.]. Also, how this reflects the actual psychology of learning or how it is that we actually process language acquisition in cognitive terms [see: Driscoll, 2000, pp. 69-71]. In short, without some form of measure or comprehensive methodology of evaluation, this project would