CALL Final Task: Software for Your Own CALL Class

A.   Background

          Students nowadays are having some difficulties in writing comprehension. As in Indonesia, English is just a second language, the biggest problem students usually face is the lack of vocabularies. They also have slightest attention in reading dictionaries to enrich their vocabularies.

          Besides, from elementary school to senior high school, English teachers in Indonesia brainwashed their students to not really concentrating in learning grammar. They always said, “grammars don’t matter. What matters the most is how brave you are to have a conversation with a foreigner." This is actually really wrong. Students need to learn about grammar, all because speaking skill is not the only skill they have to master. In order to be a good student with English skills, students of Indonesia have to have an advance writing skill that can be very useful when they want to apply for a scholarship, furthermore,  they need to write an essay or two to complete their archieve.

          Because of those reasons above, I chose “White Smoke” software that I can use in my own CALL class. This software is for grammar checker, and many more. Let’s continue to the next  explanation.

B.   Description of the software 

 

          White Smoke is a multifunctional sofware. Basically, it is just for grammar checker, like the use of capital letter, the correction of verb using, or misspelled words. But beside grammar checker, in whitesmoke students also can use it as;

• Translator 

• Ready-to-use letter template (for example, letter of recommendation, or etc)

• Dictionary

  

  whitesmoke appearance

  
  

          Before I start to explain how to use White smoke, you guys better download it here

• White Smoke as a grammar checker

          To use White Smoke as a grammar checker, it’s very simple and just one click away. White smoke is a very sophisticated software, that can be integrated with every typing software in your PC. So for example, if you’re typing in Microsoft Word, the logo of White Smoke on the right corner will appear like this:

 

when typing something, the logo will appear

          Right after you finish typing, click on the logo, and then all the text that you’ve written before will appear in White smoke window, and it will correct the mistake of that text.

white smoke has corrected you text

          You can simply click the “Apply the change” to fill the corrected text back to your MS Word file. You can also write on notepad, sticky notes, or even on the blank box that we usually find on our social network, like facebook or twitter, so that your updated status or your tweet will make a good sentence with good grammar.

• White smoke as a translator

        White smoke translator is very useful. Just as useful as google translate that we usually use. It has so many choices of language, starting from english, to Yiddish language are provided in this software. The process of using White Smoke’s translator is also as simple as google translate. You can simply copy the words that you want to translate and paste it into white smoke translator

the translation from english to indonesia

•  White smoke as a dictionary

          Just like any dictionary sofwares, White Smoke’s dictionary works simply by typing a word, and then choose the language, and click “translate”. The word’s meaning, complete with the reference of the meaning from wikipedia will be shown on White Smoke window. 

 

the result of world meaning searching

• Ready-to-use Template Letter

          Lucky me, White Smoke gave us the step process of using the template letter. They are:

Step 1:
Simply click on one of the categories and subfolders on the left until you find your desired template.

Step 2:
Click on the desired template in order to preview and confirm that it suits your writing needs.

Step 3:
Click on the "Apply" button to use the template and add your content to it within the WhiteSmoke's main screen.

 

letter template example

 

 

C. The strengths/advantages of the software

• Simple to use
• The appearance is not complex, which will ease the user
• Integrated with every typing sofware on PC
• automatically work

 
D. The weaknesses/disadvantages of the software

• The Translator is not really correct. Sometimes it translate sentence letter-by-letter
• Need an internet connection when opening the reference of the dictionary

 
 E. The process of using the software for learning and teaching activities

          When using White Smoke in a class room, teacher relate the sofware with writing comprehension. Teacher will command all students to write simple text like descriptive text in each student’s PC. While they are writing, teacher allows students to look up some vocabularies on White Smoke’s Dictionary.

          And when they are done with their text, teacher will command students to click the logo in order to see the correction of their text on grammar checker of White Smoke. After seeing their own mistake on grammar checker, teacher will assist students one by one about their mistakes.  

F. Conclusion and recommendation   

          White Smoke is a very good software for students. It can assist students in learning writing comprehension, and gave teachers simplicity by using it in class room.

          Solution for the weakness:

          1. Always assist student when they have translate something in White Smoke’s Translator. Teachers can give the correction to the result of translation.

          2. Provide Internet service in the classroom