MAXIMIZING THE LANGUAGE AND LEARNING LINK IN COMPUTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

In studies on the implementation and educational uses of computers the re are reports of changes in students' behaviour as a result of workin g with computers (Rowe, 1993; Crook, 1994). Social, collaborative and dialogic exchanges have been observed as students engage in tasks arou nd computers, This research provides evidence that the computer is a s ocial facilitator in the sense that it provides opportunities for coll aboration, group work and interaction which fosters cognitive change ( Wild, 1995), This article recognises the social role of the computer, and supports the view that computers can be used to facilitate learnin g through language. There is growing awareness that if we are to reali se the full potential of computers in education, consideration must be given to their role as catalysts in the learning process, rather than technological tools (Hawkridge, 1990), Computer assisted learning has progressed through many phases, and through investigation of underlyi ng theoretical frameworks it is possible to recognise the change of fo cus from individual accounts of learning to social perspectives, Theor etical frameworks which emphasise the social dimensions of learning (V ygotsky, 1978) legitimise the link between computers, language use and learning and indicate that computers must be integrated into the soci al life of classrooms if their pedagogical benefits are to be realised .