We've just put a new release of LangLab (1.9) on our Web site http://www.elanglab.com as the current demo version, with updated documentation. This version of our LangLab digital language lab software expands its pedagogical possibilities considerably: it includes the ability to link a picture to a lesson item, a scrollable text window that accommodates longer textual materials (such as might be used to test reading comprehension, or as an adjunct to listening and recording--e.g., a scene from a play in which the student speaks one part), and support for written questions, along with an extremely simple and flexible system for creating response boxes of arbitrary size (from checkboxes for multiple-choice answers to fill-in-the-blank answers or multi-line full-width free-response answers). There are additional enhancements, including a more robust architecture for real-time monitoring that simplifies connection for students; please click on the button to download a demo and check our Release Notes.

Those not yet familiar with LangLab may wish to read Prof. Jack Burston's review of an earlier version in his IALLT monograph. It still is (as far as we know) the only solution with comparable functionality that runs under OS X or Linux as well as under Windows--alleviating any concerns about what sort of computer students or faculty have at home, for remote use--and it now offers an even more remarkable cost-performance combination, enabling institutions to equip a lab and leverage its resources through remote access at a price that is a fraction of what the major alternatives cost.

     Regards,

     Richard Laden
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Dr. Richard A. Laden
E-LangLab, LLC
Berkeley, CA
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