Information Technology in Online English Classes: An Opportunity or a Challenge

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate teaching and learning online strengths and limitations so that there are reforms, updates, and improvements for it. Internet and information technology have changed the way of teaching and learning in general, from teaching methods to giving lessons and tests. Especially during the time of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most universities in Vietnam and around the world choose to teach and learn online. Teachers and students do not have to go to school or class; teaching and learning take place at home, in isolated places, etc., or anywhere convenient and safe for health. With the widely-applied online teaching and learning model, it is necessary to have studies to evaluate its strengths and limitations so that there are reforms, updates, and improvements for it. In this study, the author will survey the application of information technology in teaching and learning foreign languages online by students and lecturers of the Universities in Khanh Hoa province through a questionnaire for lecturers and students and face-to-face interviews to find out the advantages and disadvantages of this teaching and learning method, thereby promoting the benefits and overcoming the drawbacks of this method.