Integrating CALL in ESOL classrooms: Understanding teachers' perspectives and meeting students' needs

Abstract

In line with the needs of the 21st century learners and dramatic improvements in schools’ technological infrastructures, it is expected that the integration of digital tools into language learning courses would take a quicker pace and a smoother path. However, current research indicates that although this might be the case for foreign language learning courses, the situation differs for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes in New Zealand schools. Despite the availability of various technologies, there is not much tendency for the integration of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) tools into ESOL classrooms. Hence, this ongoing study explores the factors that contribute to the foregoing situation from ESOL teachers’ perspectives in a New Zealand context. A series of indepth interviews were conducted with a group of secondary school ESOL teachers. The initial thematic analysis of the data suggested that any meaningful integration of IT into ESOL environments requires active involvement of teachers, students, and policy makers. Such factors as teachers’ professional identity, teacher education and professional development programs, school and ministry policies, and students’ demography and their needs impacted ESOL teachers’ choice in IT adoption. The findings of this study have significant implications for teachers, teacher educators, and policy makers alike as a more specialized focus on such challenging situations should be taken into consideration when educating ESOL teachers on the integration of CALL.