CALL SOFTWARE PACKAGE   EVALUATION

AMES   - Adult Multicultural Education Services
http://www.ames.net.au/learn-english/english-for-living-in-a

Skill and study Focus

CALL Resources: Software: Conversation
 
The AMES programs are developed specifically for new Australians to learn English for living and working in Australia. The AMES,  Advance Intermediate is a tutorial style program with interactive functions, designed for individual computer based learning, either in a language lab context or for independent study.  As such it does not directly appear to be suitable for communicative conversation activities. However, it has many features which make it an ideal tool for language learning in preparation of conversation practice.

The program builds language learning around everyday life themes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Example Topics: Who’s minding the kids?, Love and Marriage & Family news. Provide the context for informal language learning.

Input is provided in text and in audio narration, and the content is based on conversational language, structured in short sentences or phrases relating to authentic themes. Common idioms are highlighted such as: be in touch / that’s good news / thrilled to hear / single minded.  The language is clearly thought about from a functional approach to develop skills for essential forms of enteraction: Reasons and opinions / Weighing up advantage and disadvantages / Narrating everyday events. These are all based on lexical and grammatical learning that can be’ re-cycled’ in a follow up conversation activity.
Interactivity includes: Extended listening, single word mouse click pronunciation, Gap-fill and drag and match exercises for comprehension and grammar. There is a cheerful feedback message with applause or helpful corrections, the program also has a process for monitoring individual student progress.
The mode of communication is predominantly reading text on screen, listening and writing on a PC. The presentation is simple without pictures or videos or extensive graphics. The visual component of multi-media is not exploited but it is not there to distract either.
Positive features are:  All listening materials use clear voices with Australian accents, which is appropriate for target learners and their social environment.  Each topic generates short learning modules across a range of skills and language.
Group conversation activities could be easily devised by teachers to extend the learning into productive speaking. As a complement to this program in a lesson  divided to provide a mix of computer based activity and communicative practice in group work.
AMES appears to have been written with sympathetic understanding of Adult ESL learners

Review : Lisa Nolan 27/08/2012