So the big Q: Am I actually learning anything??..

And the answer is... Yes :)

Using CALL is a positive experience for me. I find it stimulating to challenge and teach myself and to push myself to different learning levels. With CALL programmes I am giving myself the opportunity to improve my language shills which in turn is hugely motivating. (And sometimes addictive!)

Unlike in-class work, which I take a strategic approach to, I find that I take a deep approach to my CALL work. I want to find out more and want to understand underlying principles when I am learning for myself.

With class work, time is limited per subject and all work has a specific aim and outcome, for example, studying the imperfect tense, doing a test, passing the test and progressing, thus learning becomes forced. This type of learning is useful but is not conducive to optimum understanding. By learning in my own time and concentrating on my own needs I am beginning to relate ideas and concepts to other knowledge and I am more interested and able in what I am learning.

I do question if their is room for CALL inside the classroom as I feel it is more about the 'personal desire to learn' than learning for exam purposes. I feel that CALL would become artificial within the classroom with the majority of students, e.g. a situation where blogs or exercises are all rushed and completed together to pass an exam or be done before a due date, rather than a more reflective approach taken towards learning.

I like CALL but I feel it depends on personal tastes and interests to be successful.