Experience of Computer-assisted Language Learning

I have just found out that I have been using the CALL materials all the time without knowing that they are CALL materials. Online dictionaries, news websites, and online multimedia tools are what I find very useful for me to improve my English learning because they are easy to access and to be used. However, things were not that convenient when I was a junior and senior high schooler in Vietnam. Back in the early 2000s, computers were rarely seen in my remote hometown, and not to mention the internet connection service (which I remember that it was started to be installed and later commonly used in 2008). At that time, the studying of English relied on reference books and raw documents, which was a disadvantage in terms of learning materials and studying time.

When I was in 7th grade, I was chosen along with a few students to form a representative team for an English competition. We had to prepare months before the competition. Our English teacher gave each of us a pile of exercise documents which was about identifying and determining the correct stressed syllable of each word given (the assignment was very tough and tiring). I had to look up every page of a small, old and worn dictionary to check every single English word. it was such a time-consuming and tiring exercise I have ever did, and yet, I didn't finish all of it by the time of the deadline, even though I tried all my best. If I had had a computer connected with the internet at that time, I would have finished the exercise even before the deadline without wasting too much time on it.

Now, I can check any English word in an online dictionary and it is free of charge. What's more, I often practice my English listening skills through Youtube and improve reading skills on news and magazine websites.