Effectiveness of Online EFL Instruction amid COVID-19: An Attitude-and-Need-Based Study of EFL Learners at Changzhou University, China

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world not only a health crisis but an instructional challenge about shifting teaching and learning from the classroom to online. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of online English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction during the coronavirus pandemic at Changzhou University in China (CCZU). A mixed-method design, including questionnaire surveys and interviews, was employed for the specific purposes of this study. A group of 90 Chinese EFL students from CCZU completed the surveys measuring learner attitude and needs in online EFL instruction amid the pandemic. 5 Chinese EFL university teachers from CCZU with rich experience in online instruction participated in the interviews. The findings displayed that Chinese EFL learners showed positive attitude toward online EFL instruction since it is proven that achieving learning objectives was also possible in emergency online classes which are considered as more convenient and effective amid the pandemics. The findings also indicated that learners had strong needs in learning engagement and classroom management to achieve the learning objectives in online EFL instruction. Strategies for effective online EFL instruction delivery were discussed and recommendations for future instruction were given.