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Best practices for online or blended teaching
Background of the project
The delivery of instruction through an online platform is becoming more popular every year. While students are taking advantage of the convenience provided by online instruction, their teachers are grappling with how to engage students and approximate more closely the ambiance of a traditional classroom, which is still the most familiar…
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of online and in-person ESL/EFL classes
Introduction
With the rise of digital communication and remote learning, online classes for English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) have become more popular for accessibility and flexibility. Since 2016, the online English learning market has tripled in size, with an estimate of 17.87% growth between 2023 and 2028 (Technavio, n.d.). The COVID-19 pandemic…
Fostering a virtual community of practice through scaffolded peer review
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Introduction
This article illustrates how peer review-focused learning tasks and activities helped multilingual students in an online English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course develop a sense of community and take ownership of their learning while also enhancing their writing, critical thinking, and research skills. Informed by the pedagogical…
Teaching the pronunciation of vowels on Zoom
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted many previously in-person ESL classes to online learning. Many of these online classes are taught synchronously using video conferencing software such as Zoom. The exclusive focus in this article is on teaching ESL classes using Zoom, since that is the software that the author uses to teach with and…
Global opportunities in online English language learning
This paper argues that distance English language learning, which enables economic opportunities for non-English speakers, has not been equally available globally. In this article, I will explain that there is a need to learn English remotely for people whose lifestyles and family obligations do not allow them to attend in-person language learning classes. Yet, they need…
Benefits and challenges of a hybrid flexible EAP Program
Introduction
The COVID-19 Pandemic caused changes in modes of instructional delivery in Canadian colleges and universities when many moved to fully remote classes in March 2020. Then, in September 2021, as a part of the Return to Campus Plan at the University of Guelph, the English Language Programs (ELP) pivoted to a program that combined in-person…
