Last semester, in Varieties of English, we were taught the historical background of English using a very interesting application from the BBC's website. It was an interactive timeline of the English language; how it evolved from the time of the Anglo Saxons, up until the present day English.
(click on the pictures for a better view)
The man on the left side changes his clothes every time we travel to a new era of English. To get different kinds of information, the user can click on the different items: (from clockwise) the juggler, the bottle, the bomb, the globe, the microphone, and the shield.
In the picture above, we can see that a literary piece pops out from the juggler. When you click on the juggler, he will recite you one of the most significant literary work during the era you are exploring.
The dressed up man on the left side will provide some history information about the era.
When you click the bomb, it will explode and give you some of the English words during that time!
After being exposed to the types of CALL, we have found that this computer application acts both as a tutor (behaviourist CALL) and as a tool (integrative CALL). It provides information to the students just like a tutor, but at the same time the instructor or the teacher plays a role in explaining and elaborating more on the subject, and in helping to guide the students with this tool.
Click here to explore the different ages of English and click on the different items to see what they'll give you! Have fun!
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