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Reyes, Maria

Professor Hugetz

ENGL 1301 1UHP2

18 June 2019

Online Versus Face to Face Language Learning

There are two ways to learn in today's day in age, face to face and online. To decide

which way of learning works best depends on two things; the way the teacher teaches or how the

student acts. When teachers teach online, most but not all teachers post all the assignments

online. Then the teachers post on Blackboard that the assignments are due by the end of the

semester. When teachers teach a face-to-face course, they take their time assigning the classwork

that they want the students to do. While some teachers believe that online language classes have

flexible work, others believe that face to face classes are a better way to learn.

Teachers often disagree on the best way of teaching. Professionals say that “Online

discussion forums... [are] beneficial” to students and “give [the] students time to reflect before

responding”, allowing the students to take their time (Kissau and Algozzine 242). The students

can work on their assignments at any time and have time to get work done correctly.

Professionals stated that “online courses are seen as effective and useful, especially with respect

to students enjoying the convenience and self-paced environment that these courses can offer.”

(Enkin 68). Online teachers often have challenges they must deal with because of “preparation

needs and professional development for teaching these classes.” (Enkin 68). Online class does

not have a great motivation, Lopera Medina (2014) stated that, “The absence of a learning

atmosphere, distant contact among students,” having to “self-discipline[themselves], isolation

[from the world], anxiety, and confusion are some of the reasons students are not motivated.”
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(Lopera 93). Students do not have someone to push them to keep on going with the class which

can cause a student to drop out. In a face-to-face course a teacher can motivate their students

who shows “low interests in learning the language” or maybe struggling with learning the

language (Kissau and Algozzine 247). A teacher who teaches in a classroom can give helpful

feedback to their students easily. The debate over which teaching way is the best way of teaching

is a struggle.

There are teachers who have proven that face-to-face courses is the best way to learn.

Face-to-face courses have many “advantageous over its online counterpart” (Kissau and

Algozzine 241). One advantage is that students who are learning foreign languages can meet

other students who are studying in the same field. There are bonds that “Face-to-face instruction

may support” for example “development of strong relationships with classmates and colleagues”

that could possibly help with job hunting (Kissau and Algozzine 241). Learning in a face-to-face

course or in other words a classroom, students feel like they “[have] a more relaxed atmosphere

than the web-based students” and the opportunity they have with easy “contact with their peers,

whereas web-based students worked alone” (Medina 101). There are professionals who believes

“that F2F instruction was superior to online instruction in building a sense of classroom

community” ( Kissau and Algozzine 241). Professionals believes that in a face-to-face course

student are more productive in class, and they gain more skills like speaking and writing (Burke

and Rosalie 106). Teachers can teach their students how to pronounce the words correctly. The

teachers can make a hands-on assignment for their students to become better with the language.

The assignment that the teachers could possible assign their students are conversations between

each student to become better with holding a conversation.

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The professionals believe that online language courses are great for students who need

flexible work. Burke and Rosalie (2016) stated that, “many foreign language professionals are

staunchly opposed to the idea of teaching online” like in Universities a few does not want to

offer credit for the online courses (Burke and Rosalie 106). A few believes that online classes are

not the same as the face to face classes, they have nothing in common. Some professionals

“believe that face-to-face coursework is best for introductory language levels” so that beginners

can know the college feel of a foreign language learning class before the students do an online

class. Then there are other foreign language professionals who believe that the way students

learn the language does not matter if the teaching is good (Burke and Rosalie 107). Online

students learn to be more receptive and gain some skills like listening and writing skills (Burke

and Rosalie 106). Instructors had the same reaction to an online class and that was that they

“[enjoyed] the flexibility of being able to log in at their convenience and from any location” and

many appreciated that they did not have to physically come to class (Kissau and Algozzine 242).

Students and teachers feel that online courses give “less anxiety among students than does

immediate [face to face] discussion” and “provides greater opportunities for shy students to

express themselves” if the students are not comfortable in a classroom (Kissau and Algozzine

242). Teachers have the power to assign schoolwork to students around the teacher's schedule

and if students must balance work and school the students have a way to complete the school

work around their schedule too.

The viewpoints of an online class and a face to face class are both proven to be great

ways to learn. In a face-face class a teacher can easily connect to their students and give very

helpful feedback. Face-to-face classes give students a comfortable environment for learning. In

an online language class teacher feel like they are free to do many things while teaching. Online
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language learning classes give students time to focus on their schoolwork. In an online language

learning class people are less stress and have less anxieties. There are great arguments with both

sides of face-to-face and online language learning.

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Works Cited

Enkin, Elizabeth. “Intensive Online Foreign Language Learning at the Advanced Level: Insights

from a Summer Online Spanish Course.” Apples – Journal of Applied Language Studies, vol.

11, no. 1, 2017, pp. 67–86., doi:10.17011/apples/urn.201705172388.

Kissau, Scott, and Bob Algozzine. “The Impact of Mode of Instructional Delivery on Second

Language Teacher Self-Efficacy.” ReCALL, vol. 27, no. 2, 2014, pp. 239–256.,

doi:10.1017/s0958344014000391.
Medina, Sergio Lopera. “Motivation Conditions in a Foreign Language Reading Comprehension

Course Offering Both a Web-Based Modality and a Face-to-Face Modality.” PROFILE

Issues in Teachers Professional Development, vol. 16, no. 1, 2014, pp. 89–104.,

doi:10.15446/profile.v16n1.36939.

Moneypenny, Dianne Burke, and Rosalie Aldrich. “Online and Face-to-Face Language

Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Oral Proficiency in Introductory Spanish.” The Journal

of Educators Online, vol. 13, no. 2, 2016, doi:10.9743/jeo.2016.2.2.