A case study of student protocols in the development of foreign language learning software

This study introduces and examines the use of student protocols in the development of foreign language learning software. Beginning French learners (N = 10) provided concurrent verbalizations, or think-aloud protocols, as they worked with supplemental French courseware. Retrospective verbalizations, in the form of interviews and questionnaires, complement the data. The results are discussed in terms of how students respond and react to the images, audio, text, and learning aids of the courseware. The protocols reveal how students manage the language input provided by the computer, where they encounter problems, and how they resolve or abandon them. This information is used to inform the software development process. The use of introspective methods has implications for the development and implementation of technology in the foreign language curriculum.