remote teaching of english as a second language at tertiary level: navigating the barriers and challenges

This study reports on the first-hand learning experience of a tertiary level english as a second language teacher in the unprecedented adoption of an on-line platform to deliver instructions to a large group (n=1200) of tertiary level learners for four academic semesters. with the onset of the covid 19 pandemic, as a quick fix solution, the learning materials that had been used for face-to-face delivery for years were merely digitalised using low-tech applications for remote online delivery. however, in the process of delivering instructions, it became obvious that learning was remote in more than one way to the majority of the students. the administrators managed to address some of the challenges encountered. meanwhile, they fresh challenges kept cropping up. as for the instructional materials, having realised that mere digitalisation does not work but a transformation is what is required, the researcher joined forces with fellow teachers and took steps to develop new educational practices. in developing these new practices, the researcher also took into consideration the fact that for language learners’ the learning environment is everywhere. that it is not confined to the four walls of a classroom or limited to the instructions delivered by the teachers on-line. the implications of this study are that technology can never be a substitute for teachers; that teachers need to rethink how to balance online and offline learning; that educational institutes should try to utilize especially artificial intelligence (ai) to offer students’ a personalized learning experience, maximize student success, and create students who are agile and adaptable.