THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND E-LEARNING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF STUDENTS AND LECTURERS

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 poses a threat to humanity, as this pandemic has forced many global activities to close, including educational activities. To reduce the spread of the virus, education institutions have been forced to switch to E-learning using intelligible and free educational platforms, despite the challenges facing this sudden transformation. The focus of this study is E-learning from the perspective of students and teachers on the use and implementation of E-learning systems in higher education institutions (HEIs) in foreign language teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to identify issues related to the use, advantages, disadvantages and barriers of E-learning programs at the university by comparing the views of students and teachers who use this method of learning in long-term unusual circumstances. Four aspects were identified and characterized, namely: the extent of the use of E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the advantages, disadvantages and obstacles of implementing E-learning in foreign language learning in in higher education institutions. In the course of our research, we have achieved some results that shed light on some of the problems, challenges and benefits of using E-learning systems instead of traditional education in higher education institutions in general and during emergencies. The most popular programs among teachers for online classes were highlighted and characterized in this article.