This paper details the development of a multidialectical text-to-speech (TTS) application, Sintéiseoir, for the Irish language. This work is being carried out in the context of Irish as a lesser-used language, where learners and other L2 speakers have limited direct exposure to L1 speakers and speech communities, and where native sound systems and vocabularies can be seen to be receding even among L1 speakers – particularly the young.

Sintéiseoir essentially implements the diphone concatenation model, albeit augmented to include phones, half-phones and, potentially, other phonic units. It is based on a platform-independent framework comprising a user interface, a set of dialect-specific tokenisation engines, a concatenation engine and a playback device.

The tokenisation strategy is entirely rule-based and does not refer to dictionary look-ups. Provision has been made for prosodic processing in the framework but has not yet been implemented. Concatenation units are stored in the form of WAV files on the local file system.

Sintéiseoir’s user interface (UI) provides a text field that allows the user to submit a grapheme string for synthesis and a prompt to select a dialect. It also filters input to reject graphotactically invalid strings, restrict input to alphabetic and certain punctuation marks found in Irish orthography, and ensure that a dialect has, indeed, been selected.

The UI forwards the filtered grapheme string to the appropriate tokenisation engine. This searches for specified substrings and maps them to corresponding tokens that themselves correspond to concatenation units.

The resultant token string is then forwarded to the concatenation engine, which retrieves the relevant concatenation units, extracts their audio data and combines them in a new unit. This is then forwarded to the playback device.

The terms of reference for the initial development of Sintéiseoir specified that it should be capable of uttering, individually, the 99 most common Irish lemmata in the dialects of An Spidéal, Músgraí Uí Fhloínn and Gort a’ Choirce, which are internally consistent dialects within the Connacht, Munster and Ulster regions, respectively, of the dialect continuum. Audio assets to satisfy this requirement have already been prepared, and have been found to produce reasonably accurate output. The tokenisation engine is, however, capable of processing a wider range of input strings and when required concatenation units are found to be unavailable, returns a report via the user interface.

This presentation is a discursive treatment of the migration of a classroom based translation class to online delivery using the Virtual Learning Environment WebCT. The main focus is not on the VLE itself, but on the pedagogical challenges posed by the move to online delivery and the course structure developed to retain as many of the advantages of face-to-face delivery as possible. Key to this is the use of an innovative colour-coding system of error analysis combined with constructivist comments designed to promote reflection on the translation process. The application of colour-coded feedback to categories relevant to translation training is flexible and can be adapted to other disciplines where essay-type answers are appropriate and differentiated comment by the tutor is expected. Since translation is a process-heavy activity rather than content rich, special attention has been paid to pedagogical considerations. Emphasis is also placed on using the VLE to build up a durable learning resource. The advantages and weaknesses of both forms of delivery are compared.

Immersive learning technologies offer K–12 English learners simulated contexts for language acquisition through virtual interactions, influencing learner attitudes and enhancing cross-curricular skills. While past literature reviews have explored learners’ English skills and emotions, few have delved into the learning effectiveness of immersive technologies for K–12 students. This systematic review analyzed 33 studies from 2012 to 2021, focusing on research designs, the role of immersive technologies in English learning, and the theoretical underpinnings of these studies. Results highlight the methods used to gauge learning effectiveness, the ways immersive technologies bolster learners’ attitudes and skills, and a noticeable gap in theoretical grounding. Recommendations for future research are provided.

The Centro Virtual Cervantes (http://cvc.cervantes.es) is the Internet-based branch of the Instituto Cervantes, the official Spanish institution commissioned to disseminate the use and study of Spanish language and culture around the world.

Since its creation in December 1997, the CVC has rapidly become one of the most important reference sites devoted to Spanish language and culture on the WWW, having reached an average of over 100,000 visitors a month. This increasing number of visitors is primarily due to the great variety of resources available at the CVC website, which attract both professionals and the public in general. These include announcements of cultural events under Actos Culturales, the four discussion forums, each of which focuses on a specific topic, and the language classroom, Aula de Lengua, designed for both teachers and learners of Spanish.

The CVC front page enables direct access to the entire contents which are well structured, and organised in a very user-friendly manner. The central part is dedicated to current cultural events and is therefore constantly up-dated. The sections included are listed on the left and right hand side of the main menu page.

This paper describes how teachers without specialist computing skills can create their own computer delivered multimedia learning applications using a word processor and digital information from a variety of sources. These home-made multimedia applications can exploit video, sound clips, animations, photos, and graphics. Examples of such DIY multimedia learning materials are shown, their method of creation described and possible benefits of their use for CALL and self-access put forward.

Variable and frequently inadequate grammatical competence among language learners is well-documented in school examiners' reports. Aside from curriculum requirements this has a deleterious effect on the acquisition of fluent and generative second (and third) language competence, both productive and receptive, and makes the task for learners much more onerous than it need be. We look to computer assisted learning for help, because of its ability to handle rule-governed domains such as grammar. For once there is a pleasing synergy between what learners need, and what computers can offer. Fluency in foreign languages has improved greatly since the introduction of the ‘communicative method’, so there is less need for computers to address this kind of problem, which is fortunate as they are quite unable to help with feedback on productive performance, or to act as a realistic interlocutor.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of a computer mediated curriculum in the instruction of advanced written academic communication skills in a non-immersion situation. While previous studies have focused upon collaborative writing within a computer networked environment (Gregor & Cuskelfy 1994), the use of computer-tutorial programs (Warschauer, Turbee & Roberts 1996), or the additive effects of supplemental computer-based instruction (Chun 1994), the present study dealt with the implementation of a fully computer based EFL writing curriculum through the use of authentic electronic computer programs. The following research questions were posed at the outset of the study:

1. To what extent does the use of authentic tools, tasks and environment encourage communicative competence in the computer networked EFL academic writing classroom?

2. What is the effect of computer mediated instruction on teacher-student interaction, collaborative learning, and students' attitudes and motivation?

3. What are the benefits gained from a computer-assisted portfolio assessment?

The investigation design consisted of an experimental group which studied exclusively in the computerised lab and a control group which was taught in a regular classroom according to conventional teaching methods. Data collecting instruments comprised background and attitude questionnaires, on-site observations, informal interviews, and systematic evaluation and assessment. Findings indicate that authentic tools, tasks and environment are a strong motivating factor. While the compter-nelworked environment enhanced the teacher-student interaction, it diminished peer collaboration. Computer-assisted portfolio assessment appears to be advantageous to both the instructor and students.

The Text Analysis Program (TAP) was designed by a team from the Department of European Studies and Modern Languages and the Computer Services Department of the University of Ulster with a view to enhancing language learning techniques for third level language students. Work on the program was funded jointly by the CTI and the University of Ulster. A Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) program was also developed as part of the same project. The program came into service in the academic year 1989-90 when it was tested on three groups of students. Some minor modifications were made before it was reused in 1990-91 and 1991-92 with the group of students who seemed to us most likely to benefit from its use. It is now undergoing further adjustment in the light of the second and third year's experience and is set to become a permanent feature of second year teaching on the BA (Hons) International Business Communication course (IBC). The present paper seeks to evaluate the program under two headings: ease of use and effectiveness as a means of enhancing linguistic awareness and language learning techniques.

Two of the most frequently voiced criticisms of the competences of the average language student entering higher education are lack of accuracy in the use of the written language and lack of knowledge of linguistic terminology or metalanguage for describing and reflecting on the language being learnt. For some useful background to the controversial position of grammar in foreign language learning with particular reference to CALL see Metcalfe (1992). However, far from becoming a laudator temporis acti of the precommunicative era and advocating a return to ‘traditional’ methods of teaching language and grammar, I want in this survey to examine the opportunities afforded by the growing interest in CALL to try to remedy some of the perceived shortcomings in students' performance and knowledge. The software I want to review covers a wide range, from dedicated grammar programs through content-free and level-free authoring packages to other pieces of software which while not specifically intended for improving students grammatical accuracy, can be applied for such a purpose. In studying these representative examples of current practice I hope to establish what may be the advantages of computer based learning over traditional methods and media in grammar teaching and learning and to identify the criteria for good practice in this type of CALL ware. For a recent survey of the evolution of CALL software see Last (1992).

In 2016, Lawley proposed an easy-to-build spellchecker specifically designed to help second language (L2) learners in their writing process by facilitating self-correction. The aim was to overcome the disadvantages to L2 learners posed by generic spellcheckers (GSC), such as that embedded in Microsoft Word. Drawbacks include autocorrection, misdiagnoses, and overlooked errors. With the aim of imparting explicit L2 spelling knowledge, this correcting tool does not merely suggest possible alternatives to the detected error but also provides explanations of any relevant spelling patterns. Following Lawley’s (2016) recommendations, the present study developed a prototype computer-based pedagogic spellchecker (PSC) to aid L2 learners in self-correcting their written production in Spanish. First, a corpus was used to identify frequent spelling errors of Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) learners. Handcrafted feedback was then designed to tackle the commonest misspellings. To subsequently evaluate this PSC’s efficacy in error detection and correction, another learner Spanish corpus was used. Sixty compositions were analysed to determine the PSC’s capacity for error recognition and feedback provision in comparison with that of a GSC. Results indicate that the PSC detected over 90% of the misspellings, significantly outperforming the GSC in error detection. Both provided adequate feedback on two out of three detected errors, but the pedagogic nature of the former has the added advantage of facilitating self-learning (Blázquez-Carretero & Woore, 2021). These findings suggest that it is feasible to develop spellcheckers that provide synchronous feedback, allowing SFL learners to confidently self-correct their writing while saving time and effort on the teacher’s part.

The advantages of computer-assisted grammar teaching and more recently, web-based grammar teaching, include the possibility, for the instructor, of devoting class time to teaching communication skills, and the capacity of individualizing the course work. Several websites have been created for these very reasons. However, most of these sites include only a small portion of the grammar and very few are based on educational principles. This paper will summarize what should be the guiding principles in the design of this type of website, most of which involve instructional design and the need for structure and adaptability to different learning styles. It should also be noted that there are design principles specific to grammar teaching, such as the distinction between exploratory and pre-established modes, and the scaffolding of concepts. The application of these principles will be illustrated through the presentation of a web site.

This paper is a descriptive summary of a research project on blended learning in the Faculty of Arts at the University Complutense Madrid. The project was conducted as action research in 2002-06 by the research group LEETHi. LEETHi’s projects focus on the teaching of literature from an intercultural perspective while helping to develop new media competence. The project also addresses – among other objectives – the intercultural potential of literary tests used in second language acquisition where their practical applications include the development and use of digital material for the study of European literatures with the integration of multiple languages and perspectives. A central issue is the potential of blended learning (i.e. the integration of e-learning and contact learning) and the development of autonomy and communication between students and instructor. The online scenario focuses on the performance of tasks following sociocultural and constructivist theories and concepts borrowed from research on multimodality.