THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES ONLINE AND FACE-TO-FACE: SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES

Anastasija Ropa, Ludmila Malahova

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 resulted in the switch from in-person to online teaching, including the teaching of foreign languages in 2020-2022. This study uses the feedback of students who have studied English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in virtual and classroom settings. The aim is to investigate the benefits and limitations of each approach for language acquisition in ESP for sport and health sciences. A questionnaire to ascertain students’ experiences was distributed to 60 students in sport and health sciences who studied ESP at the Latvian Academy of Sport Education. It was found that online and face-to-face studies of ESP in sport and health sciences tended to facilitate the acquisition of different language skills. In the questionnaire, students reported consistent progress in the study of vocabulary and reading the texts related to their area of study during both online and face-to-face studies, but less improvement was reported in the areas of grammar and speaking skills. Overall, synchronous online live classes would facilitate the steady and continuous development of all language skills if supplemented by continuous support from the teaching personnel, regular offline meetings or classes, and access to specially designed online resources.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)108-124
Number of pages17
JournalBaltic Journal of English Language, Literature and Culture
Volume13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Keywords*

  • ESP
  • face-to-face learning
  • language acquisition
  • online learning
  • sport and health sciences
  • tertiary education

Field of Science*

  • 5.3 Educational sciences
  • 3.3 Health sciences

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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