The language center, (a.k.a.language laboratory) has undergonetremendous transformation in the past fifty years, but the generalmission of the center has remained constant. Whether called aresource center, media center, or CALL center, the facility providesa place for students who are studying a language other than their own(L2) to practice and learn. What has changed inside the languagecenter over the years is the variety of resources and delivery formatsthat can be used to bring language to the learner. For institutions thatare planning to update or construct a state-of-the art languagefacility, the amount of resources and the expense of putting togetheran infrastructure to support these resources can be daunting. Inorder to meet this challenge, language practitioners andadministrators at these institutions can benefit fromknowingwhatkinds of questions and issues need to be raised before and during theconstruction process. This paper presents a five-phase plan used atBentley College (USA) for its Center for Languages and InternationalCollaboration (CLIC) thatopenedinJanuary2001. In each of the fivephases, a specific strategy is outlined to meet the challenges ofupdatingordesigningthe new language center. Some of the topicsaddressed include building a team of players, balancing pedagogicalvalue and investment costs, and making technical, pedagogical,managerial, and design recommendations. The case study illustratesthat at the core of the success of the strategic framework is thecollaborative integration of expertise among administrators,technologists, and faculty.
Design and Implementation of Distributed Call-Center Based on Soft-Switch
