Students' perspectives towards online English learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Saudi University : a comparative study

Abstract EN

The onset of COVID-19 at the end of 2019 made the world seek the best ways to achieve harmony between the challenges of the pandemic and continuity of work in educational institutions.

Universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia used distance education to decrease the pandemic spread.

The current study was conducted to understand important issues about distance education from the point of view of the students of the Department of Languages and Translation at Taibah University in Saudi Arabia.

The study sample for this research was limited to female students majoring in English from all levels.

The main objectives of the study were to reveal the attitudes and persepctives of the students towards distance learning of the English language.

In addition, the study reported female students' experience in distance education and compare it with education in regular classes.

Therefore, the researcher designed a descriptive and analytical study questionnaire through which quantitative values were used to understand the results.

The questionnaire's phrases were based on a discussion of several axes: the basics of learning such as achievement and understanding, distance education technology, and teaching staff performance.

The results indicated that the general pattern of students' attitudes was positive towards learning the English language from a distance.

The study also indicated that the performance of faculty members had an effective impact on language learning from the female students' point of view.