Putri Anggraeni, et al / Journal of English Language Teaching 6 (1) (2017) 134 ELT FORUM 12(2) (2023) Journal of English Language Teaching http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt Online teaching strategies for conversational English by university lecturers Farisani Thomas Nephawe1 1University of Venda, South Africa Article Info ________________ Article History: Received on 31 January 2023 Approved on 31 July 2023 Published on 31 July 2023 ________________ Keywords: conversational analysis, conversational English, online teaching, strategies ____________________ Abstract Numerous strategies for teaching conversational English online are utilised although some have less value for money due to constraints including poor connectivity, constant ‘load shedding’, and lack of computing device systems. The paper investigated a suitable strategy for teaching conversational English online to English Communication Skills students registered for Module 1141 in the 2022 academic year at the University of Venda, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was adopted as in-depth knowledge and a wide range of speech exchange systems could be obtained. Three lecturers were purposively selected from a pool of seven lecturers to participate in the paper because they were easily approachable and had been teaching the module for over five years. Data were collected using observations and semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Atlas ti version 22 software was used to analyse the data as it locates codes and interprets the findings in primary data material, weighs and evaluates their importance, and visualises the often-complex relationships between them. The pilot study results indicated that the lecturers were not comfortable with using the videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online. But after showing them steps for using the identified strategy, the lecturers revealed extreme indebtedness towards the process. Using the identified strategy for teaching conversational English online is highly recommended. Correspondence Address: p-ISSN 2252-6706 | e-ISSN 2721-4532 Office Building B/09 Private bag X5050 T Thohoyandou 0950 E-mail: farisani.nephawe@univen.ac.za http://issn.pdii.lipi.go.id/issn.cgi?daftar&1333515478&1&& http://issn.pdii.lipi.go.id/issn.cgi?daftar&1576658845&1&& Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 135 INTRODUCTION The quality of distance education and an increased trend of e-learning have consistently improved technological advancement and shifted the entire learning system to online learning, e-learning or flexible learning. In this hegemony, Al-Nofaie (2020) asserts that many educational institutes shifted learning to online teaching. The adoption of e-learning has become the new regulation, and technology is a primary need. Khreisat (2022) claims that online teaching has become a beacon of hope for the continuity of education. Hence, Halim and Sunarti (2021) claim that not only has the paradigm of the learning process changed but also the instructions and delivery mode have been developed to ensure the teaching of English Communication Skills [ECS] in a full online classroom environment. Online teaching is a student-centric methodology that stimulates students’ interest and participation levels in virtual classrooms using virtual platforms. Additionally, online teaching is viewed as a “system without face-to-face directly between lecturers and students but done online using the internet” (Widyastuti, 2021, p.382). The main reason for engaging students in the online teaching method is to improve the quality and relevance of teaching and learning because it creates "intense participation and increased opportunities for learning and flexibility for both the student and lecturer” (Brunsell, 2021:4). Even shy students consider online classes as a haven and feel that it is easier to engage in discussions as they are hesitant to talk during lessons (Alshehri, Mordhah, Alsibiani, Alsobhi & Alnazzawi, 2020). Ceglie and Black (2023) estimate that online teaching and learning are indispensable during global pandemics and other natural hazards such as floods and wars because education can even take place spontaneously from home. In this regard, Brunsell, (2021:4) claims that teaching conversational English online creates "intense participation and increased opportunities for learning and flexibility for both the student and lecturer”. However, some lecturers face challenges in using online teaching strategies (Rif, Tan, & Khairuddin, 2023) as they are not adequately trained. Online teaching and learning individualise and provide independent learning, studying anytime and anywhere and create attendance possibilities for those who are unable to attend physical classes (Kassymova, Tulepova & Bekturova, 2023). In this situation, strategies for teaching conversational English online, therefore, are also beneficial (Pustika, 2020) to lecturers and students alike. As distance education occurs over the use of the internet (Suputra, 2021), using computing technological devices makes virtual learning worthwhile for both lecturers and students. For example, the use of digital resources including videos, high-end graphics, and images, has made the illustration and explanation of concepts in video conferencing and webinars, quite a sophisticated one. Technologies comprising both synchronous such as chatrooms and listservs; and asynchronous including e-mails and discussion boards as modes of communication in providing education are indispensable. Therefore, the internet is a wonderful resource for learning conversational English online as there are millions of websites for enhancing teaching and learning (Styfanyshyn & Kalimon, 2021). In this essence, “online learning mode facilitates lecturers to access the authentic learning environment required to create more motivating, pleasant, appealing; and engaging classes for students” (Ishak, Mulyanah & Purwasih, 2022). The majority of English lecturers’ experience challenges in online teaching while “students often struggle with finding ways to use English outside the classroom” (Styfanyshyn & Kalimon, 2021:124). The lack of resources, the knowledge of applying strategies for teaching conversational English online, and low student motivation are the most serious concern for lecturers to conduct online learning (Nugroho, Ilmiani & Rekha, 2021). Nevertheless, ‘understanding students’ difficulties can motivate and help lecturers to improve effective learning strategies that enhance listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. Nevertheless, if lecturers’ professional knowledge is empowered, they can understand contemporary educational practices such as online teaching and policies that are required for education (Rajeswari & Madhavi, 2023). To ensure the smooth flow of online teaching, English lecturers require continuous lecturer professional advancement in using online pedagogies. Rusandi, Jannah and Mahmudah (2021) postulate that numerous online platforms including Instant messaging, WhatsApp messaging, Google Class, Microsoft Teams, webcams, zoom, Skype, and videoconferencing are indispensable. Several considerable studies have been conducted to examine strategies for teaching conversational English online. For example, in Indonesia, Nagauleng and Waris (2022) studied students' perceptions concerning learning online and found that students were excited about learning online. In Saudi Arabia, Ozfidan, Fayez and Ismail (2021) explored an array of students’ perceptions concerning online teaching and learning and discovered that the students were highly motivated to learn online. In Egypt, Badr (2020) conducted a study regarding the effect of teaching English Foreign Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 136 Language [EFL] students online. The investigation revealed that students appreciated learning online because they learn individually and spontaneously. Similarly, in Asia, Khreisat (2022) examined students' perceptions of learning English online. The results of the study indicated students' appreciation of learning online. Although numerous studies mentioned supra have been attached to the attainment of an appropriate strategy in this regard, little attention was paid by the various researchers to the full realisation of the strategies for teaching conversational English online. In this regard, the researcher attempted to present the current topic because lecturers have a limited understanding of suitable strategies for teaching conversational English online. The objectives of the current paper were to identify a suitable strategy for teaching conversational English online to ECS Module 1141 students at the University of Venda, South Africa; describe such a strategy, and establish its effectiveness in teaching and learning. The paper attempted to answer the following research questions: 1) What is the suitable strategy for teaching conversational English online? and 2) How can the identified strategy for teaching conversational English online be described? The paper was underpinned by Hakuta, Zwiers and Rutherford’s (2016) ‘conversational analysis’ technique for conducting online teaching courses. At present, lecturers actively use this approach in the teaching of English both in the classroom environment and distance learning Almekhlafy (2020) as well as broadly accepting it as an informed research methodology. This approach enables lecturers and students to engage in more practicable online learning and minutia of classroom practices. It is an appropriate technique “for the formative assessment of students’ progress, immediately identifying possible gaps in their knowledge” (Kokhan, Matsevko-Bekerska & Lysanets, 2020). In this regard, researchers obtain a guaranteed niche for researching the feasibility of strategies for teaching conversational English online. The various forms of teaching and learning strategies include blended learning, collaborative learning, flipped classroom strategy, breakout classes, and scaffolding (Hakim, 2020) which can be applied to enhance online teaching. Ria (2021) sees strategies as means, tactics, or methods of accomplishing something. Khreisat (2022) claims that strategies for teaching conversational English online assist students in achieving learning objectives. Lederman (2020) claims that both students and lecturers embrace the digital experience of academics. This has been the situation regardless of constraints in the implementation of online teaching and learning such as internet connectivity and lack of internet facilities. In this situation, students expressed a positive opinion about the effectiveness of online education (Yildiz, Cengel, & Alkan, 2020). Most of the students develop paraphrasing ideas, evaluating, and comparing tactics as well as supporting them with evidence, innovativeness, and creativity. However, online teaching cannot go without challenges. For example, numerous students experienced extreme stress and anxiety because of the abrupt transition from traditional face-to-face classes to online classes (Alasmari, 2021). In this regard, students may experience difficulties in speaking the language naturally and conversationally since some students cannot have full attention on their own. Although an increasing number of studies conducted by researchers, syllabus designers, and special educationists have consistently tried to evaluate the teaching strategies, quantitatively or qualitatively, none of them have positively analysed the results that deal with a literature review (Khreisat, 2022). As there are various platforms and strategies for teaching conversational English online, the current paper aimed to identify the most effective strategy in this regard. METHODS A descriptive qualitative research approach was adopted because it could extract in-depth knowledge from the respondents, a broad range of speech exchange systems (Hakuta, et al., 2016) and the state of view as it exists today. It analyses and describes the abilities, and social phenomena in the form of word forms, uniqueness, and variations of words produced by lecturers in online learning classes (Robert & Pane, 2020). A conversational analysis research design was employed to identify a strategy for teaching conversational English online. Three lecturers were purposefully selected to participate in the current paper on the basis that they were all teaching ECS at the University of Venda in Limpopo, South Africa. Of the selected lecturers, one was responsible for offering Module ECS 1141 lectures in Group A on Mondays while another was for Group B lectures on Thursdays. The inclusion criteria of the respondents (Nikolopoulou, 2022) were that they have been teaching this module for five years or more and might have gained informed knowledge for teaching conversational English both in the classroom environment and online. They were easily approachable because they were willing to share their ideas regarding the teaching of conversational English online Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 137 and have a good sense of humour. Further, the respondents fitted the researcher’s profile because he wanted those who were currently teaching Module ECS 1141 and had enough time to fully participate in the current investigation. However, the exclusion criteria were based on the premise of lack of time, reluctance to participate and being currently on any medication affecting the respondents’ health that in the researcher’s opinion might interfere with the results of the paper. To fulfil these criteria, the researcher asked for permission from the University of Venda Research Office to conduct a study. Also, an ‘agreement form’ was carefully designed and made ready to be filled by the participants as a means of complying with the ethical standards including informed consent, anonymity, and confidentiality as well as the absence of any kind of psychological harm to the participants than physical because both lecturers and students were working from home. Data were collected using observation lessons conducted twice in two weeks, namely, on Mondays from 11h00-11h50 and Thursdays from 13h00-13h50 because that were the specific times at ECS Module 1141 was offered to Groups A and B students according to the timetable in the Department of English, Media Studies and Linguistics at the University of Venda in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The researcher did not want to interrupt teaching and learning since there were various modules offered by lecturers at specific times at this university. The other reason for conducting observation lessons on Mondays and Thursdays over two weeks was to compare and corroborate the findings from each day and each time for credibility, reliability, and validity purposes. On the other hand, a person-to-person interview (Rif, et al., 2023) was conducted only once at different lectures because the researcher could still compare and authenticate the results from different interview sessions held among the three lecturers using the same open-ended interview questions. A voice recorder and a notebook were used to record the entire interview process so that no single piece of information is misplaced. The material for online lesson discussion was selected based on the excerpts dealing with conversational English online capacity, learning objectives, and students’ syllabi. Group A lecturer conducted a lesson on ‘common errors committed in English’ while the Group B lecturer dealt with the 'word formation process'. However, the third lecturer did not partake in the observation lessons because the researcher did not wish to include him in the observation lessons and the researcher did not teach any of the sampled groups. On this basis, the third lecturer who did not teach any of Groups A and B was reserved for interview processes that were handled by the other two lecturers. The rationale behind reserving the third lecturer for the interview process was that the researcher had already purposively selected Groups A and B based on his interest. As regards data analysis, data obtained from observations and transcribed interviews were analysed using Atlas ti version 22 software because it unpacks different themes, creates and names new codes as well as labels the concepts for attaching data to each data segment. Codes were selected and dragged into the filter area on the left-hand side. After releasing the codes, the name was entered for the code group and the button ‘create’ was entered because the researcher wanted to capture all the codes without any hesitation. Line-by-line coding was opened, and codes were placed close to the data with a spontaneous approach. Labels were kept short, simple, and precise, with a focus on actions. Every new code was defined using the comment function. An organised coding system was created as in ‘sociodemographics’ for prefixes, for example, prefixed with symbol # or with @ and colours such as red, purple, and blue on the category ‘upper case’ to show effect; and a ‘sub code’ with ‘lower case’ and same as category colour while an asterisk (*) showed colour that did not fit any category as in *Scientific evidence. In this way, codes with commonalities were grouped to identify themes. Codes were grouped (Huddle, 2022) and computerised while irrelevant ones were completely removed. When the level of abstraction rose gradually, linkages were created between the different codes and code groups. Every step in a memo was diarised to increase the transparency of the coding system and facilitates overseeing and managing the writing-up of the narratives. Data reduction, data display, and verification were employed (Cahyaningsih, Putra, & Mahedriyanah, 2021). Observation lessons in the video conferencing strategy The observation lessons were conducted twice in two weeks period, namely, on Mondays from 11h00- 11h50 and Thursdays from 13h00-13h50 since that were the specific periods for teaching ECS Module 1141 to Groups A and B students because the researcher wanted to compare and collate the findings. Also, the reasons for using different days and times were to comply with the rules and regulations of the university timetable. A semi-structured interview was conducted once and on a one-to-one interview with three different lecturers because the respondents could still provide the lecturer with enough information even though it was handled once. Also, the findings obtained from a single session Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 138 divided into the three interviews were vivacious and sufficed the researcher for comparison and corroboration of the results. Nonetheless, the challenges faced by the students such as ‘slang’ in the use of the English language when learning 'common errors in excerpt 1 and the 'word formation process in 2 were instantly resolved because the researcher wanted to mitigate and avoid the development of grammatical errors in the teaching and learning of conversation English online. The researcher informed all the respondents that any single activity was merely conducted for research purposes so that students did not hesitate to participate robustly in the provided lessons. In the process, field notes regarding ‘common errors’ and ‘word formation process’ were written into a notebook to ensure the safety of the observation lessons and to compare the frequency of students' responses because the researcher would want to mitigate the difficulties experienced by students when learning through the medium of the videoconferencing platform. Semi-structured interviews in the videoconferencing strategy Each interview session was done for 15 minutes because the researcher thought that the provided slot was enough to obtain envisaged information and the lecturers' practical perceptions about the use of videoconferencing strategy. During the interviews, the respondents' effectiveness in the use of videoconferencing was examined because the researcher did not want to miss out on any response to the applicability of this platform. Ordinarily, the lecturers were aware of the difficulties that might be experienced in the utilisation of videoconferencing strategy and this prompted them to pay attention to a single interview question posed to them. After the recording was done, the transcribed video clips were accurately sorted out and analysed as the researcher wanted to assess the effect of videoconferencing strategy. Data obtained from lecturers' interviews were arranged according to the themes emerging from the analysis and used in the discussion, interpretation, and presentation of the results to match similar codes together because they would help in the writing of the narrative. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The data collected using observations and semi-structured interviews were analysed as the researcher hopefully wanted to assess the impact of the videoconferencing strategy to address the question of ‘common errors’ and ‘word formation process’ that could enhance English mastery. As traditional classroom engagement is being put aside by numerous institutions of higher teaching and learning, some lecturers experience difficulties in conducting online teaching platforms, and rigorous use of the videoconferencing strategy is anticipated. The finding is congruent with Suputra (2021) who estimates that using computing technological devices makes virtual learning worthwhile for both lecturers and students. Further, Suptra adds that videoconferencing strategy platform provides better examples and opportunities for teaching conversational English online. Two transcripts from the four consecutive observation lessons were employed to answer the research questions, namely, ‘What is the suitable strategy for teaching conversational English online?’ and ‘How can the identified strategy for teaching conversational English online be described?’. Also, they were utilised to establish the strength of the videoconferencing strategy. Nevertheless, in compliance with the ethical principles of protecting respondents' secrecy, lecturers who took part in the observation lessons were denoted as One and Two. • Excerpt 1 Lecturer One interacted with Group A students using a slide titled ‘Common errors’ in English for both lessons held on Mondays as follows: Lecturer (starting a conversation): Holla, can you all see the projected slide? Students (in unison): Yeah, visible enough, Sir. Lecturer: Ok, is 'discussing about' appropriate in English? Kudakwashe: (enthusiastically) Isn’t that there is a tautology as 'discuss' means talk about? And, if is used with 'about', it would mean 'talk about about’. Lecturer: (he laughs): Wow, quite right, the most abused phrase, you know. All students (in unison): Gee whizz! Before the lecturer could continue, Betty interrupted Betty: Sir, can we use about with ‘talk’? Lecturer: Yep, ‘talk’ does not mean talk about. Kudakwashe: Oh Gosh! What a contradiction. Lecturer: Say that again! Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 139 Kudakwashe did not continue as he knows that ‘Say that again’ means to continue talking. At the end of the lesson, students were given homework to think about the appropriate usage of the English language. Using Atlas ti Version 22.0 software, the students’ appropriate answers were grouped and organised according to the coding system. However, the irrelevant codes were removed during the computerisation of the relevant ones. Also, the researcher recorded the codes that developed patterns in line with the students’ appropriate answers. Lecturer One started his casual English conversation by using greeting words such as 'Holla' to create a friendly environment that draws the students' willingness to participate in the lesson. The finding is in line with Nagauleng and Waris (2022) who suggest that videoconferencing stimulated students' perceptions positively concerning learning conversational English online. To acknowledge such stimulation, the students used the word 'Yeah', 'Yep', 'Gee whizz', 'Wow', and 'Oh Gosh' to indicate that they welcome and know that they were dealing with conversational English. Also, the finding supports Ozfidan, et al. (2021) suggestion that students become highly motivated when learning conversational English online. Although 'common errors occur intuitively in the teaching of the English language online, students derive benefit in the use of videoconferencing lessons because they learnt the language quite enthusiastically in line with the research questions sought by the researcher in the current study. The concept of 'common errors' regarding the phrase 'discuss' was strategically tackled. The data obtained from an analysis of data observation involving the lecturer and the students demonstrate that both groups were fascinated by using the platform. The students interacted preternaturally by answering and asking questions to understand the correct usage of English to avoid the most common abuse of the phrase. The discovery is congruent with Badr’s (2020) suggestion that students appreciated learning online because they learn individually and spontaneously. The lecturer's question-and-answer method suggests a willingness to lure the students into participating more in the lesson. The use of the phrase 'Say that again' by the lecturer was nothing else than testing the student's ability to interpret it correctly. The students understood the actual meaning of this phrase because they did not repeat what the lecturer was saying. In addition, they kept quiet to signal their awareness of the phrase usage that demands the speaker to continue talking than repeat the utterance in this instance. The finding supports Yildiz, et al. (2020) who indicate that students express a positive opinion about the effectiveness of using videoconference lessons. This suggests that videoconferencing is a suitable strategy for learning conversational English online, but it must be used appropriately since there is a huge distance between the lectures and their students. • Excerpt 2 Lecturer Two interacted with Group B students using a slide titled 'word formation process' scheduled for both lessons that took place on Thursdays in the following manner: The lecturer interacted with her students using a shared slide titled 'Word formation process'. Lecturer: Hi, students, can you see the projected slide? All students (excitedly): Very well Sir, thank you. Lecturer: The lesson of today deals with the ‘word formation process’. Do you know the ‘word formation process in English? All students (embarrassingly): Nah, Sir. Lecturer: No crime, only if you can mention some examples. Mulalo (quickly raising a hand): Blending (motor + hotel = motel), clipping (ham + burghers = hamburgers), compounding (fire + place = fireplace). Lucky(shouted): I figure derivation (dis- + respect = disrespect) is one of them. Lecturer: Sure, but ‘incorporation and stitching’ as well, you know. Thomas: (reckoning) Difficult hey, aren’t they? Mulalo: Nope, they aren’t, we got to learn them, brother, don’t we? Lecturer Two commenced the lesson by intelligently wanting to know if the projected slides were visible. To confirm the noteworthy videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online, the lecturer introduced a lesson casually by using the word 'hi' to stimulate the student's interest. This finding is congruent with Ozfidan, et al. (2021) who suggest that students become highly interested in learning conversational English online. Lecturer Two informed students of the purpose Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 140 of the lesson involving the 'word formation process' using the above-mentioned platform. Furthermore, a question-and-answer method was used as a way of probing the students' existing knowledge behind the question of the 'word formation process'. In turn, the students employed the question-and-answer method to indicate some challenges that might be faced in using informal English words. Notwithstanding, Lecturer Two and the student's interactions with the lesson demonstrated the effectiveness of a videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online. The results support Khreisat’s (2022) claim that students' perceptions are highly motivated if they are taught using videoconferencing. Although this strategy is not cast in stone in the teaching of conversational English online, an informed understanding of conversational English online is emphasised. However, if both lecturers and their students do not apply this strategy accordingly the envisaged results may still reflect poor competence in the mitigation of common errors and poor understanding of word formation at the universities. Conversely, students' question such as "Difficult hey, aren't they?' indicates that students require encouragement and support towards studying ‘common errors’ because they were stimulated by the videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversation English Online. Judging from the use of interjections such as 'hey', and 'hi' and the words 'Nah', and 'nope' demonstrate the causality of conversational English usage. The findings show that students were eager to learn the 'word formation process' spontaneously. The establishment is congruent with Nagauleng and Waris (2022) who suggest that videoconferencing provokes students' willingness to rely on videoconferencing than the traditional method of teaching students in the classroom environment. To indicate their understanding of the lesson, the students gave stunning examples and types of the 'word formation process’. The discovery indicates that lecturers prefer using videoconferencing strategy to the common traditional method of English teaching. This discovery is in line with Lederman’s (2020) claim that both students and lecturers embrace the digital experience of using videoconferencing in teaching and learning the English language. Nonetheless, the availability of videoconferencing strategy does not guarantee the mastery of the language. Therefore, lecturers’ prowess in the application of this strategy is of utmost importance. As indicated before the commencement of the excerpts in the present study, the interaction between the lecturers and students endorsed the use of videoconferencing strategy during online teaching and learning. Analysis of data from the lecturers’ interviews Data obtained from the lecturers’ semi-structured interviews were transcribed, analysed, and evaluated by the researcher. The ideas obtained from data analysis were sorted and arranged according to the three themes based on interviews regarding videoconferencing strategy. The following is a brief discussion emanating from the suggested themes. Some lecturers are not competent in using online teaching strategies The versatility of online teaching strategies is an indispensable paraphernalia and cannot be ignored in the current teaching and learning environment. However, some English lecturers are not competent in using online teaching strategies. Nowadays most institutions adopt online teaching as there are various disturbances and strategies for conducting distance teaching and learning. Nevertheless, lecturers lack basic skills for utilising the strategies for online teaching as they have hardly received adequate training in the language. In this research, the three selected respondents concurred that without experience in the use of strategies for online teaching, lecturers cannot be competent in teaching and learning. They maintained that strategies for teaching English online assist lecturers to conduct advanced lessons in their distance classes. Lecturer One indicated that: I am often troubled using online teaching because I have never received any training in the process. I request that if lecturers can be supported in using strategies for online teaching, they can be highly competent. The above comment shows that Lecturer One understands that most lecturers experience difficulties in teaching online. Hence, the prayer for support from the educational authorities to uplift the standard of distance teaching and learning. Strategies for teaching conversational English online to improve language proficiency The mastery of English can be enhanced using numerous strategies. Nevertheless, teaching strategies are different and can be approached quite differently. Moreover, different grammatical elements can Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 141 be taught distinctly and call for proper strategy applications. In pragmatics, conversation is one social aspect that is leisurely and spontaneously used in conveying messages from the speaker to the listener. However, in conveying such messages an addresser and an addressee both require an informed competence of disseminating appropriate messages at an appropriate time. The use of strategies for teaching conversational English online, therefore, is a basic prerequisite for the enhancement of English proficiency without which language development can be relegated to nada during a hard time such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Lecturer Two gave the next comment: Although language proficiency is difficult to cultivate, I am sure that if strategies for teaching conversational English online are properly addressed, the standard of English proficiency can be enhanced. Also, it can be easier for me to teach my students productively. From the above-mentioned statement, it can be inferred that strategies for teaching conversational English online can improve the mastery of the language. Videoconferencing strategy is beneficial for teaching conversational English Videoconferencing is one important strategy for use by professional and non-professional individuals at a distance because everything can be easily presented virtually. Professionally, the teaching of conversational English online using videoconferencing can be employed productively by both lecturers and students at a distance although there are some challenges like poor connectivity, lack of skills for teaching online, lack of teaching equipment, and lack of quota. In this platform, lecturers can handle one student, two or more in virtual classes. Therefore, it can improve independent learning as the lessons can be projected lively. In this regard, the videoconferencing strategy is applicable when the lecturers and students are in the comfort of their homes. Lecturer Three remarked the following: I feel much better when I work from home because everything saves money, time and energy. My virtual lessons are well-planned, and my students feel safe and secure because there is no hustle and bustle like attending physical classes. The preceding comment shows that videoconferencing offers a lot of boon than a bane as teaching and learning can be practised at any time. Further, working from home makes lecturers feel relieved from the burden of having to travel to their physical classes. Therefore, using videoconferencing is cost-effective. In this paper, the findings from the lecturers’ semi-structured interviews conducted among the three lecturers at the University of Venda in Limpopo Province, South Africa supplemented the results obtained from those obtained from the real engagement between the lecturers and their students in videoconferencing observation lessons. During observation, the researcher perceived that lecturers were interested in using the videoconferencing strategy for using online teaching as suggested by Alshehri, et al. (2020). The finding is congruent with Kassymova, et al. (2023) who suggest that online teaching and learning individualise and provide independent learning, studying anytime and anywhere and create attendance possibilities for those who are unable to attend physical classes. However, this claim raises more questions than answers because there could be no need to continue researching strategies for teaching conversational English online. In the real sense, no teaching strategy does not have some drawbacks. On the other hand, the current paper's finding that videoconferencing is a renowned strategy for the teaching of conversational English online deserves praise. Furthermore, the observation results confirm that videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online is indispensable in teaching and learning. In this essence, the finding support Brunsell’s (202) suggestion that videoconferencing strategy creates intense participation and increased opportunities for learning and flexibility for both the students and lecturers. Although the identification of videoconferencing as a suitable strategy for teaching conversational English online presently indicates outstanding performance, the matter rests with the trustworthiness of both lecturers and their students because sometimes fatigue and ignorance may develop. Furthermore, when it comes to the issue of assessment via videoconferencing the throughput may not always be a true reflection of the student's competence because someone can be requested to write a test on behalf of the student. Also, it cannot possibly be the only strategy necessary for teaching conversational English online because there are as many strategies as possible in terms of producing results. Since the researchers singled out this strategy, he has all the guts to regard videoconferencing strategy as indispensable in the teaching of videoconferencing by the lecturers. The results from this Farisani Thomas Nephawe | ELT Forum 12(2) (2023) 142 study cannot claim to be the profound solution behind the teaching of conversational English online. However, the researcher attempted to come up with suggestions regarding the use of videoconferencing as an appropriate strategy for teaching the students in this regard. Getting once more in the gist of the deliberations, both four lecturers, namely, two offered on Mondays and the two carried out on Thursdays indicated that without a videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online, it may be difficult for lecturers to teach their students from home although there is various teaching platform including Microsoft Teams, Thinkific, Udemy, Skillshare, Teachable, Podia, LearnWorlds, Kajabi, WizIQ, to name a rare. Therefore, the applicability of teaching strategies depends on the methods of teaching utilised by the individual lecturer at a particular place and the student's readiness as the true recipient of the subject matter. Concerning the indispensability of videoconferencing strategy, students enjoy visualising the lecturers and the subject content offered because they do not feel humiliated by the presence of the other students in the physical classroom. They learn extemporaneously and extemporaneously from the comfort of their homes. The finding is in line with Rif, et al. (2023) who suggest that some lecturers face challenges in using online teaching strategies because they are not adequately trained. In this regard, the findings suggest that lecturers require instant support in using a videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online This finding is congruent with Rajeswari and Madhavi’s (2023) suggestion that if lecturers’ professional knowledge is empowered, they can understand contemporary educational practices including the use of video conferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online. Furthermore, the paper estimates that videoconferencing strategy assists lecturers to make their lessons progressive. The finding is in line with Rahayu’s (2020) claim that face-to-face interaction with the videoconferencing strategy is advantageous in bringing the development of students' speaking and listening skills since it is a constructed oral interaction. In this instance, the finding supports Suputra’s (2021) suggestion that oral interaction allows students to learn collaboratively. In the current paper, the findings indicate that a stable internet connection is a requirement from the students’ internet provider to implement videoconferencing strategy promptly and that a suitable internet allowance is a necessity in this regard. Based on these insights, the advantages and productivity of videoconferencing in the teaching of conversation English online cannot be ignored because the researcher carefully attempted to demonstrate its versatility in teaching and learning. CONCLUSION The paper describes how a videoconferencing strategy for teaching conversational English online can be applied to promote English proficiency as they are considered arduous to handle. The evidence presented by the researcher concerning the application of the videoconferencing strategy demonstrates an invaluable need for the teaching of conversational English online. The paper confirms careful deliberations by the cited authors mentioned within the parameter of the current study regarding the questions stated in this paper. The findings unearthed several explanations for lecturers' application of videoconferencing strategy in the enhancement of teaching conversational English online. Additionally, the paper highlighted the importance of videoconferencing as a strategy for improving the teaching of Module ECS 1141, not only at the University of Venda but also at different institutions throughout the world. Videoconferencing strategy is a recommendable strategy for enhancing the teaching and learning of conversational English online. A continuous empowerment of the lecturers' professional advancement toward understanding contemporary educational practices regarding online pedagogies is a requirement. 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