ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses three areas where computer tools can assist the production of computer-based learning programmes: teaching materials, presentation and user adaptability. It considers the derivation of exercises for Computer-assisted Language Learning packages from two different corpora: a computer readable version of the Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English (OALD) and the Susanne Corpus, a fully tagged subset of the Brown Corpus. A shortage of good examples afflicted both corpora from time to time. The original plan was to generate sets of examples on line so that students were given different exercises every time they used the system. Once learning materials have been divorced from the means of presentation, a student profile can be used to ensure that the exercises presented are commensurate with student ability. The Susanne Corpus is also at a disadvantage to the OALD when sentence length is a consideration.
