The best-known technological aid in language teaching is undoubtedly the language laboratory—a room, usually divided into booths, where students can listen individually to tape recordings of foreign language material, and where they may record and play back their own responses, while being monitored by a teacher.
When these laboratories were first introduced, they were heralded as a technique that would improve the rate and quality of language learning. They would take the burden of repetitive drills away from the teacher, provide more opportunities for learners to practice listening and speaking, and enable them to develop at their own rates and monitor their own progress. Many schools were quick to install expensive laboratory equipment. However, within a few years, it became apparent that there would be no breakthrough. The expected improvements did not materialize, and the popularity of the “language lab” showed a marked decline.
There were several reasons for the language lab’s failure to live up to expectations. The taped materials were often poorly designed, leading to student frustration and boredom. The published programs failed to reflect the kind of work the student was doing in class. Few modern languages staff had received training in materials design or laboratory use. And it proved difficult to maintain the equipment once it had been installed.
Today, the strengths and limitations of the laboratory are better realized, and the vastly increased potential of modern electronic hardware has led to a certain revival. There is now considerable interest in language learning laboratories, which contain much more than the traditional systems—in particular, the introduction of interactive computational aids and video materials has proved to be extremely popular.
It is now clear that, when used properly, laboratories can provide a valuable extra dimension to language teaching. For example, the taped material can provide a variety of authentic and well-recorded models for the training of listening comprehension. And laboratories can be used as resource centers, or libraries, giving learners extra opportunities to practice at their chosen level.
It can be inferred that today’s language learning laboratories owe their success mainly to the introduction of _____.