Academicians' Views on Foreign Language Teaching: Online Distance-Learning Versus Face-to-Face Instruction

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to examine the challenges faced by academics teaching foreign languages (Arabic and English) via distance education, in comparison with face-to-face instruction; and to suggest strategies and solutions for managing the challenges and difficulties encountered in an online-teaching platform. The recent Covid-19 pandemic provided a real life lab experiment from which to glean information and draw lessons from, given that online distance learning was primarily utilized during the pandemic to facilitate uninterrupted education. Accordingly, 77 academics providing foreign language education remotely during the pandemic were interviewed. These interviews were conducted in the fall semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. The survey questions were developed by the authors, based on established methods. Open-ended questions were developed as an online data collection tool, and data were obtained with a semi-structured interview form (aptly named "The problems faced by instructors teaching foreign languages in Arabic and English during the Covid-19 pandemic"). This study employed a qualitative research method and utilized a phenomenological design that was structured based on this research method. This technique is based on the idea that teaching should be functional, and that the degree of efficacy with which specific learning functions are achieved should be observable and subject to evaluation. The findings of this study suggest that face-to-face education is more effective than distance education, with regard to learning functionality. However, the study also finds that combining online distance learning with face-to-face instruction (i.e. hybrid teaching) appears to elevate learning functionality to an even greater extent. With regard to distance learning alone, the most common problem experienced and thus the greatest perceived challenge to educators was a lack of student interest and motivation. Additionally, assessment and evaluation of student performance in online environments were found to be not sufficiently accurate. The consensus opinion of the survey respondents is that hybrid teaching approaches offer greater effectiveness with regard to both the stimulation of student-interest and more accurate assessment of student performance.