Exploring and evaluating language learning Web sites

Abstract

The use of the Internet is a significant issue in recent computer-assisted language learning (CALL) research and practice. With the growth of the Internet, particularly the Web (WWW or World Wide Web), the number of Web sites has grown rapidly in a very short time. There are now a large number of Web sites for language learning and teaching and the amount of information on the Web sites is enormous. As a result, it is difficult for language teachers to find quality Web sites that match their needs and interests. This situation raises a need for a Web evaluation system, including a list of useful Web sites, which can guide teachers to find and use Web resources effectively and to assess Web sites efficiently. This chapter explores the use of language learning Web sites and presents a model for Web site categorization and evaluation. It also reports the results of a review of selected English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) Web sites using the model.