Research in CALL

Although CALL has been an acknowledged field for almost as long as the computer has been available, research that specifically addresses CALL issues has only begun to take on the rigor and effectiveness that both teachers and researchers need. Educators’ views of what CALL is and what it should be have evolved, and researchers have developed new research designs and methods that allow them to investigate complex environments that include technology. Much of the research to date is still anecdotal; it consists of narratives from teachers, students, and other stakeholders about what happens in CALL environments. Researchers have also conducted empirical studies of individual tools or discrete language items, but many have commented that applying this type of research to CALL classrooms is problematic (see, e.g., Egbert & Petrie, 2005). Although the benefits of using technology in language classrooms have been widely accepted (Lui, Moore, Graham, & Lee, 2003; Stanley, 2013), the literature so far mainly reveals that technology can inspire positive attitudes toward technology in those who use it. (For excellent overviews of the literature, see Basena & Jamieson, 1996; Farr & Murray, 2016.) However, CALL research is filling these gaps. In the meantime, CALL educators can employ research-based conditions, standards, and principles as they work to use computers as effectively and efficiently as possible in language classrooms.