Distance Language Education: Reality And Prospects

Résumé: The present study aims at highlighting the importance of adopting the distance language education as an alternative to in-person presence education in the Algerian tertiary education. To investigate the potential and the utility of using the distance language education, a study was conducted at the University of El-Oued. For the data gathering tools, two online questionnaires were administered to both 10 English language teachers, to elicit information about the procedure of providing a distance learning, and to 25 students of English to elicit their attitudes and satisfaction about the online learning they were subject to. The findings reveal that ICT is crucial in maintaining this form of education. Teachers admit that the online education was a compulsory policy adopted by the ministry to save lives during the pandemic. According to them, distance language education used to be an accompanying strategy to face to face education utilized by some teachers as a result of the rapid social and technological changes. The distance language education used to adopt many forms such as delivering courses in CD- ROMs as well as mailing regular courses. However, they state that, now, they face many challenges to deliver their courses via online form only. As for the students, their anxiety about their study was reduced by adopting such a strategy especially those in final years looking forward for the BA or MA diplomas. They are satisfied because they see that this type of education reduced the burden of geographical distance. Results prove that depending totally on distance education is a challenging experience for both teachers and students. The study ends up with recommendations to enhance the quality of online education through the adoption of varied tools for distance learning. Suggestions were made to extend this type of education to workers and special needs’ students in future occasions.

Publié dans la revue: DIDASKEIN