Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 12. Number1 March 2021 Pp.19-27
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol12no1.2
Teaching English Speaking Online versus Face-to-Face: Saudi Students’ Experience during
the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abdulrahman Alzamil
Department of Foreign Languages
Taif University, Saudi Arabia
Email: dr.aa.alzamil@gmail.com
Received: 12/14/2020 Acceoted: 2/25/2021 Published:3/24/2021
Abstract:
In March 2020, schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were suspended. Online learning became a substitute for traditional face-to-face learning. This study addresses the implications of this shift for the attitudes of university-level English majored Saudi students taking a listening and speaking course. The study investigated the students’ attitudes towards: a) the importance of speaking in English; b) teachers use of emails to communicate their feedback on students’ English-speaking tasks; c) online teaching of English speaking; and d) online learning and teaching of the English language. The data collection tool was a 21-item questionnaire. The participants were 18 second-year male Saudi students who were studying English at a Saudi university. The findings showed that the participants: a) had positive attitudes towards the importance of speaking English; b) appreciated the benefits that online learning offers, but felt it could not replace face-to-face learning.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face learning, online learning, Saudi EFL students, teaching speaking
Cite as: Alzamil, A. (2021).Teaching English Speaking Online versus Face-to-Face: Saudi Students’ Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Arab World English Journal, 12 (1) 19-27.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol12no1.2
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