A Retrospective Look at the Perceptions and Attitudes of Turkish Students towards Learning English Online: Experiences (Findings) From the Pandemic Period

Inclusion of technology and integrating technology-based tasks in ELT and in education in general has not been considered a new topic, and it has always been investigated to improve the quality of teaching and enhance the learning process. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, classes have been immediately changed to the virtual environment, and implementing ICT has been considered unavoidable. This rapid transformation has severely impacted the teaching process and affected teachers and learners’ emotionally and academically. Hence, researchers have started investigating learners’ opinions regarding online learning to find the challenges that hinder them from achieving their learning goals. Hence, this study is a retrospective study, was conducted in North Cyprus to determine Turkish and Turkish Cypriot learners’ attitudes and perceptions of online learning during the Pandemic at EMU. Turkish and Turkish Cypriot learners who have experienced learning English or content in English online (as a medium of instruction) were surveyed using a 5-point questionnaire of 28 attitude statements. Moreover, the merits and demerits of the online experience were identified according to their perspectives. Findings revealed mixed opinions; some learners were not satisfied with the online activities, considered them boring, not matching their preference, and needed more objectives’ clarification. They also encountered interaction issues, health issues, lack of resources, and ill-equipped technical knowledge. However, it was flexible for some learners who reviewed the sessions and studied at their speed. In light of the results, some recommendations and implications have been suggested.