Young children’s perceptions of emergency online English learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: evidence from Kazakhstan

Hajar A. Manan S.A.
2023 Routledge

Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
2023 #17 Issue 2 393 - 407 pp.

This qualitative study explores the English learning experiences of 30 Grade 5 students from three mainstream schools in Kazakhstan during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was informed by Benson et al.s (2011) four-dimensional model of language learning beyond the classroom: (a) location (physical vs. virtual), (b) formality (formal vs. informal agents), (c) locus of control (other-directed vs. self-directed goals) and (d) pedagogy. Data were collected through online individual interviews and students drawings. The data suggest that the participants English teachers used mainly Zoom and WhatsApp platforms for delivering the online classes. The participants were critical of their English teachers practices, particularly, the overuse of WhatsApp, the scarcity of co-operative activities and delays in responding to inquiries. Consequently, 16 participants (53%) were receiving face-to-face and virtual private tutoring in English (PT-E). Although face-to-face PT-E may be unsafe during the pandemic, PT-E was a parental strategy to free themselves from the burden of tracking their childrens progress. The participants acted agentively, not only reflecting on the disadvantages of online education but also on its benefits, including its being more convenient and able to help them improve their self-reliance and technology skills. The pedagogical implications and areas for further research are suggested.

Covid-19 , emergency English eLearning , primary school students’ perceptions , qualitative inquiry

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Multilingual Education & PhD Program Director, Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Multilingual Education & PhD Program Director

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