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The use of computers to assist learners in their language studies has increased phenomenally over the past decade – it was indeed the 'growth area' of the 1990s (Liddell, 1994) and continues to be so in 2000. UNITEC School of English and Applied Linguistics has invested substantially in technology that allows students to utilise computer-based training materials during their course of study, and has actively moved towards integrating the technology in existing and new curriculum. This integration comes with a substantial capital requirement for computer equipment. Is this ongoing expenditure warranted? This paper examines student attitudes towards the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), and their perceived view of its relevancy to their course of study. It also seeks to clarify just how students see the role of CALL – as chief competitor with the classroom teacher or as one of many useful tools? The paper also reports whether there was any link between the perceived usefulness of CALL, and the student's level of computer literacy, language level and age. The paper concludes by highlighting some key factors to consider when integrating CALL into language courses, and some directions for further study.
Robert Ayres (Mon,) studied this question.