ABSTRACT




This doctoral dissertation studies the World Wide Web as an adequate environment for language learning. It focuses on web sites designed as teaching material for Catalan learning. This is a learning modality with certain specific particularities that justifies to be analised in a different way. 
       The main objective of this research is to observe the learning material designed for self-learning in web sites. More precisely, if it is adequate for the actual social requirements and if correct didactic practices are followed. 
       Therefore, this study focuses on two aspects: the first one, the teaching-learning of languages, and the second one, the tool that is used in teaching and learning, i.e. the web. Both topics are studied in detail, specially considering the critical perspective of their evolution.  Thus, the main focus of this research is the discipline of Computer Assisted language Learning (CALL), the combination of the above mentioned aspects.  
       The theoretical background of this study integrates several approaches based on language teaching research and implemented through computing technology. This research analyses the changes entailed in the usage of information and communications technology (ICT) in language teaching and learning. It also reviews the necessary competences necessary to carry out language teaching and learning, the advantages and disadvantages of the use of technology and, furthermore, the technical, functional and didactic requirements that materials designed for CALL should have. 
       As a consequence, in this research we formulate two proposals, on the one hand, we propose a classification of the web resources taking into account their purpose in language learning. On the other hand, it has been designed an evaluation grid that allows us to know the didactic quality of the web courses based on autonomous language learning. From all the variables analysed we compile the didactic and functional requirements that should be taken into consideration by CALL courses in the web.