Abstract:

The COVID-19 global pandemic has presented challenges in the area of education across the globe. Face-to-face learning has abruptly given way to remote learning environments due to social distancing and quarantine measures. Students and teachers have had to switch over with little or no training or experience in this learning environment, affecting both learning and teaching in equal measure.

This study collects and presents the perceptions and preferences of university level students after having completed a semester of English instruction in a remote learning environment. 224 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students responded to an online survey regarding their experiences in this environment and how it compares to their experience of face-to-face learning.

Results from this study highlight positive attitudes towards remote learning from students, including better than expected learning outcomes. However, students still desire face-to-face interactions and structured learning through course texts. These results suggest that a mixture of online and traditional classroom settings may be an optimal solution for language learning environments in higher education.

Keywords:

Remote Learning, EFL, Higher Education.