This study examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on educational system; investigates how meaningful learning is promoted and continued despite the unprecedented global challenges; and investigates if the channels through which learning is promoted cater for students' learning styles. Two hundred and one secondary school students selected from Ekiti State, Nigeria, participated in the descriptive research study. A validated questionnaire was used to gather data from the respondents. The study found out that the learning channels mostly employed during the pandemic were television stations, school on-air via radio programme, virtual learning, and private teaching. The findings revealed that respondents had no preference for specific perceptual learning styles but embraced different learning channels employed. They modified their learning styles and developed flexibility in learning. A recommendation was provided that new viable policies that promote diverse learning opportunities and alternative learning strategies capable of mitigating the present and future academic obstructions should be made and diligently implemented. This paper concludes that during future emergencies, diverse learning platforms, channels, and digital media employed for learning should cater to students' learning styles: visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, group, and individual. It is noteworthy that learners would learn better if they are exposed to varieties of teaching/learning media.

Diagnostic assessment is an indispensable aspect of pedagogy. Past research has shown that teachers’ perceptions and attitudes to diagnostic assessment could influence their classroom practices. This article discusses teachers’ perceptions of diagnostic assessment, reiterates the essence of diagnostic assessment in English language classrooms, explores teachers’ attitudes and utilization of diagnostic assessment techniques, and also investigates the factors influencing teachers’ knowledge of assessment practices. To achieve these objectives, an empirical study on English language teachers’ perceptions of diagnostic assessment, teachers’ attitudes and utilization of diagnostic assessment techniques and factors influencing teachers’ knowledge of assessment practices was conducted. The results show that the majority of English language teachers in the sample have inaccurate perceptions of the purpose of diagnostic assessment and also have negative attitudes to diagnostic assessment in classrooms. The results of the survey indicate that schooling, professional coursework and context are factors that influence ESL teachers’ classroom assessment practices.

Critical literacy is a skill needed for academic and intellectual achievement, lifelong learning, discourse, future job prospects and other endeavours. Although it is instrumental to developing social interactions and relationships, some students cannot think critically and contribute meaningfully to spoken/written discourse because they do not possess the necessary skills and strategies. One way of developing critical literacy is through argumentative writing.  Often, some students perceive argumentative writing as a complex and complicated skill in spite of its importance to their academic and lifelong goals. This paper discusses the importance of critical literacy and explores how argumentative writing can help develop this skill to salvage this situation. The article concluded that students should be exposed to the rudiments of argumentation to become critical literates who can critically scrutinise, appraise, and interpret information for their academic development and social transformation.

The literacy needed to live efficiently and functionally in a knowledge-driven society goes beyond the ability to read, write and calculate to a more encompassing literacy such as digital literacy. Two social media platforms, Instagram and TikTok, lend themselves to digital literacies and practices needed to learn language skills and content with ease and fun. The study investigated undergraduate students’ knowledge of and competence in using Instagram and TikTok as learning spaces for learning language skills and content. The study also examined the influence of age and gender on undergraduate students’ competence to use Instagram and TikTok to learn language skills and content. Two major language departments in a university in Nigeria were involved in the study. Three hundred and fifty-two students constituted the sample for the study; 110 from Linguistics/Languages Department and 242 from English and Literary studies. Data were collected using a close-ended-self-constructed questionnaire and a checklist. The data were analysed using inferential statistics. The study revealed that undergraduate students possess adequate knowledge of Instagram and TikTok as learning spaces and are competent to harness the features of Instagram and TikTok to learn language skills and language content. The study also shows that age and gender influence undergraduate students’ competence in using Instagram and TikTok. The study recommended that undergraduate students should harness the potential of Instagram and TikTok on activities that will enhance their linguistic repertoire.