Online Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic: L2 Learners' Perspectives

ABSTRACT

The current study was prompted by the sudden appearance of COVID-19 pandemicwhich changed the system of education globally. Successive students' perspectives were noticed in Saudi universities through adopting online platform to sustain the learning process. Therefore, this study is concerned with addressing the challenges that L2 learners face while accessing online learning platform and with its efficiency, motivationand their perspectives. This study employed an analytical research design. Data were collected via Saudi universities through a questionnaire. This study assigned to 128 L2 learners purposively sampled. Results reported that the majority of respondents admit the positivity of the online learning. However, challenges are still prevalent in accessing the apps and interacting successfully. The study proposes strategies to create safe, supportive and challenging learning environments through modifying new policies concerning online motivation, engaging students and developing them as learners along with periodic training for teachers on the different aspects of online education. Further, education policymakers, schools and universities should pay more attention for successive training to enhance instructors' technology and communicative competencies. Besides, innovative virtual teaching strategies are highly demanded for both instructors and L2 learners. Managing the classrooms virtually in pandemics needs more attention and polices to follow.