Sustainability and computer-assisted language learning: factors for success in a context of change

Abstract

A team of university Italian teachers at an Australian university has been able to obtain enduring benefits from computer-assisted language learning (CALL), through projects that last, and indeed grow and develop over time. The projects have focused on supporting students in effective use of out-of-class time once they reach an intermediate level of proficiency. This article analyses the team's 15 years of CALL experience by first examining the opportunities and constraints of the changing technological context - with rapid developments in both the types of tools available and the students' relationships to them - and then seeking to identify aspects of the team members' role as agents in that context that have allowed the projects to be successful despite the challenges. While we acknowledge that a certain level of skills, ability to work as a team, and institutional support have been essential, we stress that the key to the success lies in three key principles that shape the team's approach, namely: tailoring, integration, and an iterative development process. Recommendations follow on strategies and techniques that we believe will assist in the sustainability of CALL over the long term in a university setting.