Online learning-teaching processes and the role of ecuadorian esl teachers as facilitators during the pandemic: students’ reflections and analysis (Quito, March 2020-November 2021)

Abstract

In 2019, the world was mercilessly attacked by covid-19 and its variants, showing no signs of recession thus far. The pandemic transformed people’s lives in many ways, with education being one of the most shaken areas. Since then, virtual education has taken a central place in most countries, reaching thousands of students either synchronously or asynchronously. In vulnerable countries like Ecuador, however, it struggled to take off due to socioeconomic challenges. Despite the difficulties encountered, nevertheless, some educational institutions were able to cope better than others by implementing creative responses while transitioning from face-to-face to virtual education. A time of educational discovery and exchange was inaugurated in some public institutions in Ecuador, opening up renewed learning experiences throughout the transition. This qualitative research explores and analyzes the reflections and perceptions of esl students at a public university in Quito regarding their online language learning experience, evaluating course-content, learning-process, and teacher-performance between march 2020 and November 2021.