Online foreign language learning in Higher Education during the COVID-era: A survey of Greek students' perspectives

ABSTRACT

During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, serious disruptions, including campus closures and a massive transfer to online 'emergency remote teaching' (ERT), have brought unparalleled repercussions to all tertiary academic fields, including foreign language (FL) teaching and learning. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among Greek HE students. In total, 367 responses were collected from students who had attended university FL modules during the 2020 spring lockdown. Results revealed high attendance rates, which seem to relate to the novelty of the online learning experience and the participants' positive feelings towards transitioning to the online mode, while increased screen exposure and lack of interactive engagement appeared as the primary impediments. Issues of equity of access due to technological deficiencies were also raised. Ambivalent evaluations were recorded with regards to online FL learning courses, with students reporting the least progress in their speaking skills development. However, the teaching material used was overall positively evaluated, along with recorded gains in students' digital literacy. It is hoped that this study could shed light on the consequences of what has been the most challenging academic transition in recent decades and prepare for future contingency plans and emerging opportunities in FL teaching in HE.