Emergency Remote English Language Teaching in the Arab League Countries: Challenges and Remedies

Abstract

During the outbreak of Covid-19, emergency remote teaching (ERT) appeared as a hot topic research area. However, ERT remains a general term that needs to be operationalized in specific contexts such as English language teaching (ELT) in the Arab league countries where the classroom challenges and reactions of Arab English language instructors are under-researched. Therefore, this study synthesized ELT with ERT to introduce emergency remote English language teaching (ERELT). It investigates the virtual classroom challenges and the suggested remedies that Arab English language instructors have met while delivering their emergency on-distance lectures. A qualitative research design was followed in which online discussion was conducted on ResearchGate. The data were built from the responses of 19 English language instructors in the Arab league countries. Using grounded theory, the analysis revealed two lines of challenges depending on whether these countries are low-tech or high-tech. In low-tech countries, due to the absence of technological infrastructure, ERELT did not take place. In high- tech countries, the challenges are twofold: technical and pedagogical. The study concludes that syllabus designers and English language lecturers need to incorporate virtual teaching and learning as part and parcel of traditional teaching and learning practices. In low tech countries, traditional media such as television and radio may offer alternative emergency solutions. This article contributes with a bottom-up model for ERELT to pave the way for future research.