“ThePossiblity of Reaching Bax’s Normalization in our Saudi context: Why is it possible? When is it possible/reached/achieved? How will it be reached?”

a)      Stephen Bax argues that, “Our aim should be to attain a state of “normalization” in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated.” 

By this statement Bax means, the use of technology should be so commonplace in the society that it should blend in and compliment all of our activities. In simple terms, technology should not be something unusual or rare. Bax believes we are at the Integrative stage of CALL and proposes the means of achieving this normalization through several ways. One such way this will be achieved is by integrating computers into every aspect of the language student’s lessons. This will not be a central part of the lesson, but it should be so integrated in the classroom that it will go unnoticed. 

Also, CALL will be normalized when more emphasis is placed on the learning aspect of the lesson, instead of the computer aspect.  The computer technology should accompany the learning only.

Bax has further described three steps which we need to take for normalization to occur:

1)      Identify the significant factors which normalization requires

2)      Audit the use of each teaching context for the identified criteria

3)      Make the necessary adjustments required for normalization to occur

a)      Application to Saudi Context

I believe that although Saudi Arabia is heading towards normalization and perhaps has achieved it to some extent, but there is still room for further integration. University students, such as in our Educational Technology class, use CALL in our daily activities, but this is not seen in schools. Students should learn how to use technology on a daily basis from a young age for normalization to happen smoothly.  This is one area which will help the youth move towards normalization.

Outside of the classroom, a greater amount of normalization can be found in Saudi Arabia. Every member of the family, be they young or old, use technology on a daily basis. Common devices used by everyone are mobile phones, cameras, ipads, laptops etc. to communicate with each other. These devices are much more commonplace these days than they were twenty years ago. Most people cannot even imagine life without them and we can technology plays a big part in our social life these days. This same normalization should also be achieved in the classrooms.

The use of blogging and interactive teaching courses and quizzes online are a good step towards normalization in Saudi Arabia. A few years from now, people will shift away from the traditional pen and paper methods of learning and shift to CALL completely and this is when normalization will occur completely.