INTERLANGUAGE AND THE COMPUTER

Page No.: 
157
Writer(s): 
Bernard A. Mohan

Second language acquisition research has questioned
the value of formal teaching of grammar and emphasized
the importance of language use. Accordingly,
proponents of computer-assisted language learning
have argued that computer software is valuable for
second language learning to the degree that it provides
practice in using the language rather than merely
manipulating it. Theory and research on interlanguage
indicates that language acquisition will increase with
the quantity and quality of comprehensible input that
non-native speakers (NNSs) receive. Preliminary
analysis of language interaction of intermediate NNSs
suggests that the quantity and quality of interaction is
lower in computer use than in conversation. This raises
questions about the role of the computer in language
development.

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