Challenges with Online Teaching and Learning of English Vocabulary

Abstract

This article aims to examine the challenges facing secondary school teachers and students in English vocabulary online classes in Amman, Jordan. It also aims to propose the most effective ways to overcome the encountered challenges. To this end, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty teachers and twenty students to understand their experiences related to the online learningteaching process. Based on these interviews, several challenges that might obstruct this process were identified, with some of the challenges reported by teachers being similar to those reported by students. Teaching and learning challenges included poor class management, poor Internet connection, and large class sizes. Moreover, the findings of this study highlighted that one of the most important challenges that teachers encountered in teaching English vocabulary online was the impossibility of using realia. The study concludes with some solutions from both teachers and students to overcome these difficulties, such as using more advanced online platforms, e.g., Google Meet, World Word, and Microsoft Teams, as well as splitting students into small online rooms, and using games/plays.