The Potential of Online Teaching and Learning in the Affective Domain: A Sharing by Four ESL Teachers during the Pandemic

Purpose – The study analyzes the affective impact and potential of e-learning enabled by synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) (e.g., Zoom Video Communications) and teacher-student interaction via computer-mediated communication (CMC) (e.g., WhatsApp) throughout a 10-week period during the pandemic as experienced by four ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers who had no prior experience in online or blended teaching. The authors intend to explore the potential of e-communication specifically in catering to ESL students’ affective needs, such as lowering their affective filter (Krashen, 1985) and language anxiety (Horwitz et al., 1986), and establishing a closer teacher-student relationship.
Methodology – The study was based on qualitative data collected from the authors’ teaching reflections as ESL teachers. In line with the spirit of collaborative autoethnography (CAE) as a timely research tool during the pandemic (Roy & Uekusa, 2020), the authors took the role of “teacher-researcher” (e.g., Cirocki & Farrell, 2017; Edwards & Burns, 2016) and analyzed their own reflective journals from a third-person perspective. At informal group interviews, the authors selected and agreed on the key observations, feelings and anecdotes worth-examining in their first-time online teaching experience.
Findings – It has been observed that both teachers and students were more emotionally literate in their Second Language (L2) with the introduction of technology-mediated communication (TMC) inside and outside of the ESL classroom given the lower affective variables (Krashen, 1985; Horwitz et al., 1986). As learners’ text-based L2 production increased, the potential benefits of TMC in learners’ affective states should not be undermined. This echoes the findings of various research (Abrams, 2003; Darhower, 2000; Jung et al., 2019; York et al., 2021). Likewise, teachers’ increased self-disclosure and more timely response to students’ enquiry outside class fostered a closer teacher-student relationship.
Implication – The incorporation of TMC into English Language Teaching (ELT) is desirable for its potential benefits in the affective domain of both teachers and students. Further research on the affective benefits of TMC, specifically in easing adult L2 learners’ language anxiety, is recommended.

Keywords: technology-mediated learning, ESL, learners’ needs, student engagement, teacher-student relationship