Editorial: From Courseware to Coursewear?

摘要

Assuming that I am writing for posterity here, I have to address - and hopefully appeal to - three kinds of readers. The first type of reader will glance through this issue of the CALL Journal as soon as it appears. The second type of reader will be searching articles on a particular subject for a literature survey, probably within 2-5 years, and hopefully will come across this issue. The third reader will find this issue in the dusty archives of a library about to be demolished, and in so doing will save it from oblivion. My editorials usually contain, next to the perfunctory presentation of the articles accepted for publication, general considerations on CALL research, development and implementation. I write these considerations bearing in mind that they might be read next week, within 2 years or not until 20 years hence. Sometimes I resort to safely looking for a common, denominator in all of the presented articles. However, today, is it the wine that accompanied my lunch or this last day of Indian Summer that has made me deviate from the trusted path? While rereading this issue's articles, I was struck by something that is not there: a focus on technology. What can explain this absence? By the end of 2004, the Internet hype has faded away, but we are swamped with new devices and new technologies which can be expected to revolutionize language learning and teaching: We are entering the mobile era. Cellular or mobile phones with multimedia communication capabilities, and handheld devices that function more and more like wireless laptops have become common tools. After what has been written about the affordances of the Internet, I was expecting another tidal wave of articles promoting new language learning methods based on the advantages of mobile technologies and creating exaggerated expectations. Nothing of the kind.