Is COVID-19 forcing ESL instructors to return to more traditional teaching in the second language acquisition methodology?

Abstract

This paper is part of PhD research conducted by two experienced ESL instructors from the International University of Sarajevo. The aim was to see whether the instructors at the English Language School (ELS) at the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) were turning to some more traditional teaching methods and techniques due to the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency online instruction. Four experienced English Language School instructors were interviewed and special attention was paid to the following aspects of teaching: class activities, feedback, teacher talking time and student-instructor rapport. The results showed that despite being fully experienced with and knowledgeable about modern teaching methods and techniques, more traditional methods seemed to be preferred to modern teaching methods when it came to online instruction. However, to prove this even further, some large-scale and more empirical studies would have to be conducted in the future./ Keywords: in-person instruction, online instructions, modern methodology, traditional methodology, class activities, feedback, teacher talking time, student-instructor rapport