University students' perspectives on online English language learning: Implications for Ecuadorian educators

Authors

  • Jardel Coutinho Santos

    Educational Science Department, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120508, Ecuador
  • Badie Anneriz Cerezo-Segovia

    Educational Science Department, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120508, Ecuador
  • Gabriel Brito Amorim

    Language Department, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiás 74674300, Brazil
  • María Lorena Estupiñán Lince

    Educational Science Department, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120508, Ecuador
  • Gustavo Vinicio Monge García

    Educational Science Department, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120508, Ecuador
  • Cristopher David Herrera Navas

    Educational Science Department, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120508, Ecuador
  • Oswaldo Paul Vera Mendoza

    Educational Science Department, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120508, Ecuador

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59400/fls.v6i2.1183

Abstract

Online education has mainly been at the core of discussions after Latin America's Covid-19 sanitary crisis started in March 2020. Teachers and institutions have explored different ways to face what is now called "the new normal". This study aims to identify the perspectives of Ecuadorian university students on online English language learning in order to inform the design of strategies that allow improvements in the teaching process. This quantitative study was carried out at a university in Ecuador and encompassed 4.936 participants from different majors. An online questionnaire was administered for data collection and analyzed through the application of neural networks. The results showed that students perceive learning English online positively and that their greatest strengths are in listening and writing, while their difficulties lie in developing their reading and speaking abilities. This suggests that more attention should be given to the development of reading and speaking strategies in an attempt to fill the gap that students indicated while answering the questionnaire. Some directions in that regard are given in the conclusion.

Keywords:

online learning; language education; higher education; Ecuador

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How to Cite

Santos, J. C., Cerezo-Segovia, B. A., Amorim, G. B., Lince, M. L. E., García, G. V. M., Navas, C. D. H., & Mendoza, O. P. V. (2024). University students’ perspectives on online English language learning: Implications for Ecuadorian educators. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.59400/fls.v6i2.1183

Issue

Vol. 6 , Iss. 2 (June 2024)

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Article

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Copyright © 2024 Moussa Diagne Faye, Vini Yves Bernadin Loyara, Amadou Keita, Mamadou Diop, Angelbert Chabi Biaou, Mahamadou Koita, Hamma Yacouba

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