The foreign language students’ readiness for online learning in response to COVID-19: A case of Malaysia

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the foreign language (FL) students’ readiness due to the transition from traditional face-to-face learning to full-scale online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. For data collection, an online questionnaire was used to gather data from 227 FL students from public and private universities. Online communication self-efficacy, self-directed learning, learner control, motivation of learning, and computer/internet self-efficacy are the five variables used to evaluate the students’ readiness for online learning (OLR). The results revealed that most FL students are prepared for online learning, with computer/internet self-efficacy ranking as the most important OLR component. Additionally, it was discovered that the students were confident using the internet to search for the information they required for their online courses. There were no significant variations in perceptions across all the variables according to the respondents’ gender and places of education. However, students from different program levels showed significantly contrasting opinions on self-directed learning in which the bachelor’s degree students were more ready for online learning in comparison to the diploma students. It becomes apparent that Internet connectivity also plays an important role in influencing the students’ OLR. These findings will assist Malaysian universities in mapping out consistent policies and guidelines in the curriculum and improving the quality of online learning.