Abstract:

During the COVID-19 pandemic teachers and students at Slovak high schools and universities had to quickly adapt to active usage of technology. In a new online situation, computer-mediated communication in English language might be challenged. Although synchronous communication takes place in a real time when teacher is able to provide feedback immediately, asynchronous communication is challenged by the extended timeline for responding to students’ messages or comments. Both modes of online learning are closely connected with a specific type of e-testing. The test developer needs to identify following criteria on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) language test: definition of the purpose and aim of the test, assessment of a need analysis, collection of language use resources in specific context, analysis of the target communicative tasks and language skills as well as development of test tasks assessing language knowledge, i.e. vocabulary and grammar. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program of Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) has been chosen to provide a cyber space for English online classes at the universities in Slovakia, whereby the high schools led the lessons via another cloud platform ZOOM. The present study compares ESP assessment and testing during online learning in higher secondary and tertiary education in Slovakia. Students participating in our research were in the final year of their studies at secondary vocational and secondary grammar schools as well as in the first year of the study at Jessenius Faculty of Medicine Comenius University in Slovakia. Learners’ performance was compared and statistically evaluated. The results provide evidence that ESP performance varies in learners at different levels of their study. The questionnaire, following the present study, revealed that the learners, on the one hand, missed face-to-face communication in the traditional classroom, teacher’s feedback on their English language performance, struggled with computer technology and online tools; and, on the other hand, they appreciated their own time management and comfort while learning from home.

Keywords:

English for specific purposes, secondary and tertiary education, distance education, e-test, questionnaire.