Theme: Technology and Learning Grammar

Guest Editor: Trude Heift

Advances in computer technology offer a range of new opportunities for language learners to gain awareness of grammatical structures and to develop L2 grammar proficiency. Since the inception of the internet, the amount of grammar exercises has been increasing steadily, in part due to useful authoring tools that have been developed over the past years. Related fields, such as corpus and computational linguistics, have exploited technology to provide tools that may contribute to a richer, more comprehensive and individualized grammar learning experience. For instance, technology-based grammar instruction now provides proofing tools, corpora, and concordancers specifically geared toward the language learner. Static as well as dynamic help aids such as inflectional paradigms, grammar notes and dictionaries have also been incorporated into grammar teaching. Progress has also been noted in the domains of SLA theory and language pedagogy, in particular, with respect to learner control, corrective feedback and error correction. This special issue of Language Learning & Technology aims at providing a variety of perspectives in this area through research articles and theoretical discussions of technology-supported grammar instruction, language acquisition, and testing.

Possible submissions include but are not limited to:

• a comprehensive literature review of technology-based grammar instruction
• a discussion of theoretical frameworks for aspects of technology-based grammar instruction
• theoretical models of error diagnosis and error correction (e.g., NLP-based or nonparser-based approaches, student modeling techniques)
• research on the link between computer-based activities that promote grammar skills and those that promote language acquisition
• overviews of research on the role of technology in developing grammar proficiency
• studies of the efficacy and/or utilization of corpora, concordancers, proofing tools and other grammar aids to support grammar acquisition and proficiency
• studies of corrective feedback, learner control and error correction with respect to technology-based grammar instruction
• comparisons of technology use (i.e., proofing tools) by native versus foreign language learners
• studies of computer-based instruments for assessing various aspects of grammar proficiency
• computer-based testing of grammar proficiency

Please send an email of intent with a 250-word abstract by May 1, 2007, to llt-editors@hawaii.edu.