IJ-ELTS: I nternational J ournal of English L anguage & T ranslation S tudies Vol: 1, Issue: Tracing the Journey of the Use of Computer Technology Abukhzam Vol:1, Issue:1 Tracing the Journey of the Use of Computer Technology in the Field of Second and Foreign Language Assessment and Testing Omar Mohammad Mahmoud Abukhzam Department of English Language & Translation Studies, The Faculty of Arts, the University of Sebha, Sebha, Libya Abstract Second/ foreign language pedagogy has undergone tremendous changes with the advent of various educational technologies The very nature of language teaching, learning and testing has been significantly transformed and new practices have reshaped the existing ones The advent of computer technology in the field of second/ foreign language teaching, learning and testing has been a noticeable breakthrough which has revolutionalised almost all the existing practices in second and foreign language pedagogy It has entirely changed the way second/foreign language is taught, learned and tested This also has led to the foundation of a separate discipline called as CALL and many other related branches within it; each focusing on a specific aspect related to language teaching, learning and testing CALT or the Computer Assisted Language Testing has been one such discipline which, though started almost 80 years ago, has gained significant attention of all those who are related with second/foreign language teaching, learning and testing practices in the 21st century Today, the use of computer technology has become inseparable part of the second/foreign language assessment and testing It is almost impossible to find an academic institute which does not rely on the use of computer technology for assessment and testing purposes In this regard, the present paper aims to offer a brief history of this use of computer technology in the field of second / foreign language testing and assessment Key words: CALL, Computer & Language Testing, CALT, CAT, WBT International Refereed & Indexed Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460 April-June, 2013 www.eltsjournal.org 88