ELT Teachers’ and Learners’ Perceptions of Online Core Language Courses during Pandemic

Abstract

In 2020, the global sanitary crisis of COVID-19 prompted us to search for strategies to keep communicating in all areas of society. The education domain had to adapt and quickly made a significant shift towards digital interactions to facilitate instructional delivery for teaching and learning. This qualitative case study aimed at exploring the perceptions and most challenging facts associated with an Online education model applied to core courses in an ELT program at a Colombian university. Data from surveys interviews and focus groups applied to 115 learners and 20 teachers suggested that despite the benefits regarding authentic materials for language learners, constraints related to learners connectivity, teachers-students interaction, social presence, motivation, evaluation, and the delivery of feedback were the most challenging situations. The overview portrayed in this study will facilitate comprehension of the learning and teaching issues presented during Covid 19 pandemic and will raise awareness of new perspectives for further online instruction.