The effectiveness of online language learning: a case study of Italian as a foreign language

Scanni, Simona ORCID: 0000-0003-2213-1426 (2024). The effectiveness of online language learning: a case study of Italian as a foreign language. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The use of technology and the Internet have spread rapidly in the last decades and have made it possible for people to learn foreign languages online. More recently, the unexpected shift from face-to-face (F2F) to emergency remote learning (ERL) during COVID-19 has increased attention on online and distance learning.

In this thesis, I aim to investigate the effectiveness of online foreign language (FL) learning, in particular of the Italian language. It was initially based on three research I posed to gain an understanding of students’ perceptions of, and satisfaction with the effectiveness of learning Italian through the Internet and also to what extent they perceived they had acquired or improved their Italian. The investigation has been carried out through the analysis of some crucial factors involved in language learning, namely motivation, personality and autonomy, in order to outline the profile of a successful and satisfied potential online FL learner. My thesis covers the chronological period that started in 2018 and continued until 2022 and represented a time of change for humanity: the COVID-19 crisis. The sudden shift to ERL encouraged a reassessment of online learning and its effectiveness as a way to improve, rather than limit, education. Because the sudden pandemic situation turned learners from individuals who freely chose online learning to students who had to switch to distance education during the COVID-19 emergency, the study was divided into two sections: one “before COVID-19” and one “during/after COVID-19”.

Consequently, in this investigation I explored a variety of methodological paths: from questionnaires and interviews with students and staff members in order to explore their perception of and satisfaction with their online learning experience and build an ideal profile of a successful online FL learner; to the writing of two literature reviews, one before and the other on COVID-19 and education in order to capture and explore all the challenges and opportunities which came with the pandemic, and to prove that the move to online learning in time of crisis was considered emergency remote teaching/learning (Bozkurt et al., 2020; Hodges et al., 2020), a separated concept from conventional online learning in terms of issues and challenges; finally, social media-based research around certain hashtags and tweets, in order to examine people’s perception and feelings about the difference between online learning and ERL. Such a combination of multiple methods attempts to achieve a complete picture of a situation which might need a thorough investigation in terms of the elements which can serve as points of reference in the development of potential new learning and teaching models for the post COVID-19 era.

The results showed that all students who engaged in learning Italian online, both before and during/after COVID-19, perceived they had acquired the language and found the overall online FL process to have been satisfactory. However, students who experienced ERL and had promptly adapted to the online learning environment due to extenuating circumstances, would not repeat their online experience in the future. Instead, they would rather opt for F2F classes because they missed the on-campus experience. The results contribute to the related body of research by showing that the concept of effectiveness is intertwined with feelings that depend on extrinsic parameters, and a learner’s satisfaction with the process of online FL learning might lie in needs and expectations other than academic achievements or learning outcomes, such as the need to experience on-campus life and feel a sense of academic community.

My findings also show that my initial speculations that online learning is not appropriate for everyone, and that students interested in learning an FL through technology would tend to be more positive and satisfied about their online experience than others, have been backed by the evidence of this study.

This study is grounded on the premise that online learning, particularly in FL, makes education more accessible to learners around the world. In fact, even before the pandemic, an increasing number of universities and institutions were turning to blended and distance learning in order to increase participation. My findings and evidence can contribute to the development of possible models to enhance teaching in the post-pandemic era, helping institutions in the design of quality and more effective online FL courses to meet students’ and teachers’ needs and expectations.
Finally, my thesis fills a research gap in the area of online learning of Italian as an FL, as very little research about the effectiveness of online language learning, and particularly of Italian, currently exists.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):