ABSTRACT
Effective CALL requires an instructor to locate the optimal balance of approaches,
resources and tools to meet the needs of particular learners in a particular learning
context. The drawbacks of the audiolingual method which came to light in the 1970s
and, more recently, the limitations of communicative language teaching which
emerged strongly in the 1990s amply demonstrate that a balanced approach is need-
ed. Any approach which fails to focus on accuracy and form as well as fluency and
meaning, or vice versa, is destined to have only limited success. Beyond a command
over the grammatical system of the language-often regarded as the core of language
learning-lie other levels of language which also require attention: pronunciation,
vocabulary, discourse, and pragmatics. Even broader goals might include developing
learner autonomy, extending content knowledge, advancing socio-cultural awareness,
or even exercising language creativity. Overall, an informed, balanced approach is
required, with a careful weighing of the elements, so as to match the needs of the indi-
vidual learner as far as possible (see Burston, this volume).
