A Study Of Individualized Instruction In The Multimedia Computer Assisted Language Learning Context

The continuous development and popularization of computers have led to the quick growth of the multimedia technology. It has become a new and more challenging attempt to apply multimedia in the language teaching domain. As an organic product of the modern multimedia technology and the foreign language teaching methodological practice, Multimedia Computer Assisted Language Learning (MCALL) has shown enlightening influence on the three levels of second language teaching, that is, Foundation, Interlevel and Practice (Stern 1983: 44). This thesis is to find out the feasibility and effectiveness of the individualized instruction in the MCALL context through the English teaching experiment in Southeast University during the spring and summer semester in 2004.By means of classroom observation, interview, questionnaire and test, the author tries to explore learners'self-construction procedure during the application of individualized instruction experiment. Furthermore, learners'comprehensive language performance (especially in listening and speaking), language learning attitude and language learning habit are likely to be affected through this mode of instruction. For the sake of explicitness, the class in the traditional teaching mode in the traditional context is called Class A, and the class in the individualized instruction mode in the MCALL context is called Class B. On this basis, two hypotheses are proposed and testified:1. Students in Class B are more competent in comprehensive language performance than those in Class A, especially in listening and speaking;2. Students in Class B experience greater changes in learning attitude and learning habit than those in Class A.In the process of the individualized instruction experiment, the following two questions are to be answered:1. What are the preferable roles for students engaged in meaningful learning in this mode of instruction?2. How can technological instructional materials best enhance meaningful learning in this mode of instruction?The individualized instruction with the use of multimedia computer is to be favorably recommended through testification and exploration. Its advantages of individualizing students'learning process, diversifying students'learning behavior and disadvantage of alienating teacher-student relationship are to be discussed in the thesis. Its pedagogical implications to language teaching context and teachers and students'information literacy are also presented.