The Pros and Cons of Teaching English Language Speaking Skills Online From the Points of View of EFL Teachers at King Khalid University’s (KKU’s) Tehama Campus

Abstract

English language skills are generally divided into two groups: receptive skills (listening and reading) and productive skills (speaking and writing) with productive skills being the more problematic area for both teaching and learning. Therefore, along with a competent teacher, students need intensive practice to excel in productive skills. With the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 affecting all sectors of the educational field, the world was forced to shift from face-to-face classroom learning to online learning. As a result, instructors and students struggled to achieve their goals as many problems evolved, particularly in teaching productive English language skills. This study explores the pros and cons of teaching English language speaking skills online from the points of view of EFL teachers at King Khalid University’s Tehama Campus. To get the results of this study, researchers used the systematic descriptive analytical approach using a questionnaire to collect the data. Results were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings revealed many pros of teaching English speaking skills online such as developing students’ motivation, confidence, competence, and pronunciation, enriching their vocabulary, saving their energy spent in commuting, and overcoming speaking problems. These pros were compared to the fewer cons which included a lack of facial expressions and body language.