Word Processing and CALL tasks

The word processor offers teachers a variety of ways to create interactive CALL tasks. A very common and useful feature of Microsoft Word is the add comments feature which allows someone to insert a comment within a Word document that can be saved, sent via email or posted on a site for the original author (i.e. student) to open and view suggestions and comments. The student then has the ability to incorporate these comments into his/her editing and redrafting process. In addition, a similar feature allows changes to be made and sent back and the original author has the ability to accept or reject these changes. The editing portion of the writing process is facilitated by the comments feature of Word. The comments can be generated by the teacher or by other students in peer-editing; the document can be sent via email or posted on a wiki or blog to be copied and pasted. Let’s look at a document that has comments added.

Additional word processing and CALL related tasks can make use of highlighting; the exercise can consist of highlighting specific cohesive elements of writing and checking other’s work for elements that enhance cohesion. Here is a wonderful example provided by Christine Bauer-Ramazini of a sample paragraph highlighted for cohesive elements. Further exercises could be using Word features to correct for grammar or punctuation. Check out these links Punctuation and Capitalization; Paragraph writing; and a variety of techniques using word processing.