esp students’ perspectives on online learning during the covid-19 pandemic in iran

Covid-19 and the closure of educational institutes triggered considerable changes in the education systems worldwide, and teaching shifted from an onsite to an entirely online model. this study investigated the esp students’ perspectives on online esp learning at four faculties of tehran university of medical sciences. using a mixed-method design, 80 medical, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing students studying english for specific purposes (esp) were selected for this study. a close-ended and an open-ended questionnaire and an interview were used to find out the students’ perspectives. the study results showed that the esp students are pleased with the online courses and that most are motivated by virtual learning. it was also revealed that the main problem that influenced online esp learning during covid-19 was communication challenges. although this way of teaching and learning kept the lecturer and students interacting, the actual communication in the onsite class to boost students’ outcomes could not be found in online courses. some other barriers came from the stability of students’ internet access and particular technical issues. the implications suggested that teachers and students should be prepared to adopt the digital classroom as the new direction in language teaching. the findings of this study can benefit esp teachers and policymakers to help reduce the constraints of quality modern education, providing standards for virtual esp courses as a new direction in language teaching.