Online lessons

The Advantages of Online Language Teaching - Based Solely on My Own Experience

Since the pandemic, online language teaching has become increasingly popular, and many learners choose this flexible and effective form of learning. Below, I will present the most important advantages of online language learning based on my own experience.

1. Less commuting = more energy for learning

I have observed that since I primarily teach in an online format, my students are more motivated to prepare for the lessons. The explanation is reasonable: when we learn online, we can save half an hour to an hour of commuting time, which not only saves time but also energy in today’s fast-paced world. In this case, the saved time and energy can be dedicated to learning. Learning is accessible from anywhere, whether from home, a café, or the workplace.

2. "Everywhere is good, but home is best"

Human nature includes the need to "get out," yet I find that in the long run and on a regular basis, even in language learning, the saying "Everywhere is good, but home is best" holds true. Not to mention that at home, learning tools are within reach, and language books, notebooks, and dictionaries are not "left behind" at home.

3. "Home, sweet warm home" - the children's favorite classroom

Based on my observations, children especially enjoy online learning. It’s understandable since they spend 7-8 hours a day (if not more) at school, and their youthful spirit needs as much of a "home feeling" as possible. Not to mention that in our increasingly digital world, our "little ones" are becoming more adept at navigating the online space, and they particularly enjoy engaging in online activities, whether it’s about online learning methods (e.g., digitally filling in a gap text) or solving a problem that arises in the online environment.

4. With a little trick, almost a "presence lesson"

With the right digital solution (e.g., connecting a large-screen TV to the computer), the other person appears almost life-size, which somewhat "brings us closer" to the experience of a face-to-face lesson. This can be complemented with appropriate audio equipment (speakers) to provide an even more "human-like" experience.

5. Digital learning materials and interactive tools, greater variety

Within the framework of online language teaching, numerous digital learning materials and interactive tools are available: videos, podcasts, online tests, language apps, QR code-based task displays, and other multimedia materials support effective learning while ensuring that online lessons are colorful and diverse.

6. Visual experiences in both the learner's and the teacher's home

Although the smart board used in face-to-face lessons provides a visual experience, the visual digital materials used during online lessons - even those created by the teacher - can perfectly replace the experience provided by interactive boards. This way, during an online lesson, the student can receive the same visual stimulus as they would during face-to-face language lessons with a smart board. By sharing the screen, any task needed for teaching can be displayed with just one click.

7. More efficient presentation and saving of corrected homework

While homework corrected in a notebook or on paper only appears on the notebook page, digitally corrected homework can be saved with a single move, whether by the teacher or the student. Not to mention that paper-based homework often gets lost or, out of laziness, doesn't even make it out of the student's drawer.

Summary

Of course, as a language teacher, I firmly believe that "Spoken words fly away, but written words remain," meaning that one or more professional language books and well-structured (dictionary) notebooks are necessary. However, paper-centric language teaching does not exclude the possibility of holding the lesson in an online format. Moreover, a language teacher who uses classical language learning methods can still take advantage of the online teaching benefits outlined above, thereby creating a modern, convenient, yet still knowledge-focused and goal-oriented educational foundation for their students.