Teaching the Challenging Content of Phonology during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims to find the impact of the abrupt transition from traditional teaching to remote teaching of the phonology courses and how stakeholders dealt with such a shift. To this end, a descriptive approach was used, and data were collected using a questionnaire. The sample included students at English language programs (ELP) in some Saudi universities at levels 5 and 6 since they took the phonetics and phonology course at the beginning of the pandemic. There was an educational challenge during the coronavirus that compelled the conventional system of education to accept the status quo where educators found themselves obliged to shift abruptly from a traditional, face-to-face educational environment to fully online instruction. However, most of our Saudi academic institutions were not prepared for such a sudden and quick change. During the COVID-19 lockdown, language teachers in English Departments at Saudi Universities (ELP) resorted to the different type of teaching which depended mostly on technology where internet-wired personal computers or tablets played a significant role, and which expanded the scope of the teaching process and practically increased orientation on the teachers’ part. Moreover, students’ independence and self-teaching seemed to have increased, which could have influenced their cognition and skills. This study discussed the way language teachers in ELP dealt with the challenging content of the phonology course during Covid-19. The findings show that there were some problems at the beginning moving from traditional to virtual classes, where the students depended upon themselves and adapted to the change. The findings also showed that the teaching aids were not satisfactory enough to suit the purpose of the course.