The Impact of CALL Software on the Performance of EFL Students in the Saudi University Context

This paper investigates the extent to which Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) contributes academically and pedagogically to the performance of students majoring English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The paper’s main objective is to explore the extent to which CALL is effective in developing the linguistic and communicative competence of EFL students in the skill of reading. This paper uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches in the process of data collection. As an empirical study, the sample in this study was 47 students studying English at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The participants were classified into two groups: experimental and control; each of which has been assigned specific reading activities. The experimental group has been allocated technological learning, by means of using the computer programs of Snagit™, Screencast; whereas the control group has been assigned traditional learning, i.e. without using computer. Results revealed that the use of CALL has more positive effects on the learning outcomes of the experimental group than those pertaining to the control group. This, in turn, accentuates the fact that the use and application of CALL into EFL contexts improves the students’ learning outcomes concerning the skill of reading. The study recommends further integration of computer software into the designation of the different EFL courses.