An Investigation into the effects of COVID-related school policies on the teaching and learning of English as a second or foreign language

Breakout Room F

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-related campus access restrictions on the teaching and learning of English as a second or additional language. A mixed-methods survey of ESL teachers, followed by optional structured interviews, was chosen as the research design. Results showed that the requirement to move instruction wholly, or partially, to an online format created emotional and cognitive hardships for students, but a rich professional-development opportunity for teachers as they dealt with the challenges of online instruction. The author concluded that both teachers and students of English need to develop the digital literacy skills in order for the latter to develop the sufficient language skills needed both inside and outside classroom environments.