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With continuing advances in technology, computer-assisted instruction provides opportunities for individualized, interactive instruction. The philosophy of constructivism has encouraged instructional designers to create less behaviouristic, more democratic programs that promote learner control. In the area of ESL (English as a second language), computers are seen to be a highly motivating, instructional tool. The questions that remain poorly addressed are: How do the students' cultural ways of knowing affect how they utilize computerized language instruction? How can instructional designers, software developers, and instructors respond to the challenge of creating self-instructional materials that include Western ways of seeing the world that influence how we teach language, and how we expect students to learn?