Artificial Intelligence and Error Correction in Second and Foreign Language Pedagogy

This paper is an attempt to ascertain the suitability of computers for second and foreign language (SL/FL) error correction, especially those made by SL/FL learners. For this purpose, the handling of such errors proposed in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) literature will be examined. Subsequently the technologies capable of evaluating student output and identifying and correcting Non-Native Speaker (NNS) errors will be examined. Though it will be made quite clear that the computer cannot substitute a human being in total language processing, some strengths of artificial intelligence in partial language processing will be pointed out and their suitability for L2 error correction will be highlighted. The article will conclude emphasizing that the use of high quality multimedia applications and programmes stimulates and fosters language learning. Key words: computer, language errors, error correction, second language (L2), Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Intelligent CALL (ICALL).