Abstract:

This paper deals with the Impact of Distance learning on teachers and students in the process of foreign language teaching/learning, in midst of facing a new life situation, such as the pandemic of COVID-19, in which the use of information technology (IT) is crucial in maintaining existing education. The research was conducted on 100 students who were involved in the educational process exclusively through ICT for three months. Comparison was made between learning a foreign language in the traditional form of teaching (face-to-face) and distance learning with interactive teaching methods, supported by modern IC technology, using different educational platforms and other types of available software or applications (Moodle, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, Whatsapp, social networks etc.). Students who participated in the research were at the time learning Russian language for 1-3 consecutive years in a non-Russian speaking environment. The results show benefits of interactive technology, technical possibilities and difficulties while also taking in consideration participant's health in the educational process. The teacher leads the learning process, but the student is an active participant, who must be motivated in order for the teaching process to be successful. Through interactive learning, students strengthen their personality, gain experience and come to their own learning conclusions, showing that modern technology indeed supports the teaching process and represents a bridge between the teacher and the student.

Keywords:

Distance learning, foreign language learning, teaching process, interactive teaching methods, modern technology.