Learning English Online: Possibilities and Pitfalls
As the COVID-19 pandemic broke, educational institutions globally moved online. Given the lack of notice and urgency of the situation, there was a severe shock initially. However, over the course of the pandemic, it became clear that online instruction had definite advantages. Similarly, some disadvantages had to be dealt with. Many institutions have decided to remain fully online or offer online study as an option. This article is an effort to make parents and students aware of those advantages and disadvantages of online English study. To begin with, there are various kinds of online education. Synchronous learning refers to those classes where instructors and students meet at the same time and place and interact in real-time (Stanford Graduate School of Education, n.d.) . The opposite of synchronous is asynchronous, where students access materials at their own pace and interact with one another and the teacher on their own schedule (Stanford Graduate School of Educa