learning english through blended learning: opportunities and challenges

The popularity of blended learning in english as a foreign language (efl) which is commonly regarded as an approach combining the features of online with face-to-face educational components has been growing as has proved to be effective. despite the popularity of this approach and the growing interest, there is an ongoing debate about the combination of virtual and in-person educational components. several studies have shed light on the challenges and opportunities of blended learning, but no clear understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of this instructional component exists. to this end, the present literature review was conducted aiming to identify the challenges and opportunities in the virtual and face-to-face components of english learning from the perspective of teachers, students, and educational institutions. the promotion of learner autonomy is regarded as a significant achievement in blended learning of efl. blended learning contributes to an increase in learners’ engagement while teaching the material, when allocating and when carrying out tasks. self-regulation challenges and problems in employing virtual learning technologies are the main challenges that pupils encounter in blended learning. in addition, teachers also experience technology-related challenges when using the blended learning approach. moreover, educational institutions face problems with providing suitable educational technology, and effective training support to instructors. finally, the previous empirical studies are investigated and reviewed.