BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING: THE CASE OF SUMMER AND REGULAR TEFL MA STUDENTS‟ OF ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the “benefits and challenges of computer assisted language learning” between summer and regular TEFL MA students of Arba Minch University. A descriptive design with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative), and a comprehensive sampling technique were employed using 39 (35 summer and 4 regular) respondents. Questionnaire and interview were used to accomplish this study. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages were used to determine the summer and regular students‟ benefits and challenges of CALL. Content analysis technique was used to analyze the interview and non- parametric, Mann-Whitney- Test (SPSS version 20) used to analyze and check the summer and regular students‟ differences on the benefits and challenges of CALL. The results indicated that the majority of summer and almost all regular students had practiced CALL very well. When seeing both groups‟ benefits of CALL, there is no significant difference. On the other hand, the summer and regular students‟ challenges of CALL were identified, and both experienced various challenges in learning CALL. The result indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups. The findings of the study indicated that students have got the benefits of computer assisted language learning. Moreover, the findings showed that students need basic computer skills/training should be required to learn with computers, and adequate time should also be given for CALL learners.