Despite growing policy attention to digital education in India under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and numerous government-sponsored training initiatives such as DIKSHA and NISHTHA, the normalisation of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in English language classrooms remains limited — particularly in semi-urban and rural districts. This study examines CALL teacher training, its effectiveness, the barriers impeding pedagogical integration, and teachers' preferred professional-development (PD) models among English language teachers in the three North Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh: Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam.

A concurrent mixed-methods design was adopted. A stratified random sample of 80 English language teachers was drawn from government, aided, and private schools and degree colleges across the three districts. Data were collected via a validated 48-item questionnaire (Cronbach's α = .89) supplemented by semi-structured interviews with 18 purposively selected participants. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and reflexive thematic analysis were employed.

Results reveal that while a large majority (75.0%) engage in self-directed online learning, formal pre-service CALL training reaches only 27.5% of participants, and its effectiveness in promoting normalised classroom use is rated low (M = 2.83, SD = 1.16). Four principal barriers — inadequate ICT infrastructure (M = 3.91), curriculum-assessment misalignment (M = 3.74), time scarcity (M = 3.71), and lack of sustained post-training support (M = 3.68) — were identified. Teachers overwhelmingly preferred hands-on practical workshops (83.8%), peer learning communities (75.0%), and school-based mentoring (71.3%). Significant differences in training effectiveness ratings were found across institutional types, F(3, 76) = 6.43, p < .001. The study advocates for a context-sensitive, community-embedded CALL-PD framework anchored in normalisation theory and socio-cultural perspectives on teacher learning.