Student Attitudes Towards Online Classes and Foreign Language Learning in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This chapter aims at identifying and analyzing undergraduate university students’ attitudes and percep- tions of online English classes taken during two periods of COVID-19 lockdowns, based on the findings of two questionnaires applied immediately after the students returned to campus and resumed face- to-face classes. Students’ perceptions were explored considering the following domains: the physical conditions of online classes and factors which may affect the quality of the online classes; the features of the online classes, English language learning and skills development during the online sessions, and students’ attitudes towards the use of technology in language learning. Results indicate that students manifested a positive opinion on online classes while, at the same time, they also perceived the impor- tance of face-to-face classes in learning languages. This chapter also provides some recommendations and research directions aiming at promoting the debate on the assets and liabilities of virtual classes, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.