An Analysis And Study Of The Impact Of Covid-۱۹ On English Language Teaching Around The World And An Examination Of Challenges And Opportunities

The sudden onset of covid-۱۹ around the world not only posed a great challenge to the medical community, but also the education system around the world underwent a huge transformation. This crisis led to the closure of face-to-face courses in schools and universities. Instead of canceling their educational program, many universities encouraged professors to present content through virtual education, educational media, and new technology. The global pandemic caused by the COVID-۱۹ virus has had a disruptive and profound impact on English-language teaching. To reduce the spread of the virus, teachers and learners had to suspend in-person teaching and learning. This led to the widespread adoption of synchronous and asynchronous online teaching. Obviously, this period has led to immense challenges for teachers and students alike, but it has also provided a unique opportunity to understand the potential affordances of online teaching in English-language teaching. In the midst of COVID-۱۹ pandemic, many university courses delivered in English are conducted entirely online. However, if we continue using traditional teaching strategies and the same set of teaching materials, it would be extremely difficult for students, regardless of age, to focus in a ۲- or ۳-h synchronous online class. As such, many researchers and educators are exploring different ways to engage students in today’s digitally connected world. This article explores how English as a Second Language (ESL) undergraduate students come up with emergency remote learning at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic. Using exploratory research design, one hundred university students from five English for Academic Purpose (EAP) classes who experienced blended learning using Badaboom!, a Game-based Student Response System (GSRS), for one semester were recruited to participate in the research. ۳۰ students were interviewed to collect the data. The interview aimed to detail their responses so their strategies can be mapped clearly. The data reveal that the tertiary-level learners of this study feel that game-based classroom response system is useful for assisting them in overcoming ESL academic writing difficulties. The study reflects that, most students favour the interactivity and engagement afforded by Badaboom! due to the strong instructor-student and student-student interaction as well as students’ increased engagement.

Keywords:

Corona virus , COVID-۱۹ epidemic , education , English learning , Saudi Arabia , universities