4. 6580-22379-1-CE.pmd EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka): Culture, Language, and Teaching of English Journal homepage: http://jurnal.unmer.ac.id/index.php/enjourme/index Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 pandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutionspandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutionspandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutionspandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutionspandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutions 11111FujionoFujionoFujionoFujionoFujiono, , , , , 22222Nurul Hidayati, Nurul Hidayati, Nurul Hidayati, Nurul Hidayati, Nurul Hidayati, 33333Desi Kurniati Agustina, Desi Kurniati Agustina, Desi Kurniati Agustina, Desi Kurniati Agustina, Desi Kurniati Agustina, 44444Citra Siwi HanayantiCitra Siwi HanayantiCitra Siwi HanayantiCitra Siwi HanayantiCitra Siwi Hanayanti 1,4 Faculty of Engineering, University of Madura, Jl. Raya Panglegur KM. 3,5, 69317, Pamekasan, Indonesia 2,3 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Madura, Jl. Raya Panglegur KM. 3,5, 69317, Pamekasan, Indonesia Corresponding author: fujiono@unira.ac.id ARTICLE INFO Received 15 October 2021 Accepted 30 November 2021 Available online 15 July 2022 Keywords: online college English teaching- learning, opportunities, challenges, and solutions DOI: 10.26905/enjourme.v7i1.6580 How to cite this article (APA Style): Fujiono, F., Hidayati, N., Agustina, D.K., & Hanayanti, C.S.(2022). Online college English teaching-learning amidst COVID-19 pandemic: Op- portunities, challenges, and solu- tions. EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka): Culture, Language, and Teaching of English, 7(1) 47-52, d o i : h t t p s : / / d o i . o r g / 1 0 . 2 6 9 0 5 / enjourme.v7i1.6580 ABSTRACT During Covid-19 outbreak, the lecturers and learners adjust to carry out class by applying online teaching-learning. Online teaching-learning built a new approach of communication between lecturers and learners in online course. This research aimed to describe online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 pan- demic: opportunities, challenges, and solutions. This research applied phenomeno- logical research design in which the data sources were questionnaire and observa- tion results dealing with the learners’ responses on teaching-learning amidst covid- 19 emergency. It was found that almost all students studied English more accessible and flexible without came and met the lecturers in college, they could share infor- mation each other through online platform, nothing interaction among of them to prevent the outbreak. However, majority of college learners complained about fi- nancial, internet package, trouble networks, and time management that the learn- ers sometimes got boring to study English. Dealing with the issues, Indonesia has contributed the internet package to assist the learners’ financial, and the lecturers has implemented games to create class more interactive, and energetic. EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka): Culture, Language, and Teaching of English Vol. 7, No, 1, July 2022, Page 47–52 1. Introduction English has become global language for sharing information cross the world. It has been ap- plied in many sectors, such as for education, economic, social-culture, politic, and law sector. Thus, it is crucial to learn in all level of education, including college level. However, the Covid-19 has been revealed as universal pandemic since 12 March 2020 up to now. The pandemic has required physical distancing in all activities. Abidah et al. (2020) said that the ©2022 The Authors. Published by University of Merdeka Malang This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka): Culture, Language, and Teaching of English Vol. 7, No. 1, July 2022, pp. 47–52 | 48 | effect of the recent Covid-19 emergency has begun to expand to the global education. Responding to this, emergency regulation required all level of education, starting from the elementary school level to higher education level in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. According to Bhagat and Kim (2020) the college or school has been closed to minimize the transmission of the virus. The ministers of education in all over the world have recommended all institutions to imple- ment emergency online learning to ensure the sustainability of educational process. Simamora (2020) stated that face to face teaching-learning has turned into virtual classroom up to college with numer- ous online teaching-learning applications. Online teaching-learning provides many advantages for teachers and learners by interacting anytime and anywhere among of them through various platform, such as email, Zoom Meeting, WhatsApp group, Facebook, and Google Classroom. Meanwhile, the disadvantages of the online teaching-learning described that the message was delayed, there was also a trouble of internet package and signal (Lailiyah et al., 2021). Other than that, the online learning also leads the students to feel isolated from their classmates (Syahputri et al., 2020) and demotivated by the teachers’ teaching styles (Adara et al., 2021) In addition, a study mentioned that the learners felt less absorbing, synergetic, and effective in online learning (Fujiono et al., 2021). The situation has enforced the lecturers to give the suitable material based on situation and condition, the strategies of teaching-learning, providing technology as intermediary for online learning. In another case, Nartiningrum and Nugroho (2021) discovered that online teaching also brought the challenges for teachers in implementing lesson, having poor network, and problems in adapting lesson plan. On the other side, Dhawan (2020) stated that online learning can create the teaching-learning activity more focus on learners (Student-centered Learning), more contemporary, and flexible. UNICEF (2020) enounced that the learners who unable to come physically to the school were more than 1.5 billion learners in 190 states. Needless to say, the pandemic required the education system to carry out various changes in teaching and learning methods, techniques, and strategies. In previous study, Fujiono et al. (2021) has found that most of the students were less interest- ing, motivated, and effective in English distance learning through zoom application and WhatsApp group, they often got the trouble signal and limited internet. In other research, Ismail et al. (2020) also mentioned that 93.9% the learners were not ready for online learning due to the problem with the internet connection, lack of technological tools and capability, health problems, and inadequate references, and non-conducive condition. It showed the challenges in conducting online learning. However, this current study not only showed the challenges, but also the researchers also interested to describe the opportunities, challenges, and solutions in online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 pandemic. 2. Method The methodology used a phenomenological research design. This research attempted to find out opportunities, challenges, and solutions in online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid- 19. According to Marshall and Rossman (2016) stated that phenomenological approach aimed to explore, describe, and analyze the individual lived involvement meaning. The subjects of this study were 30 students of the Faculty Animal Husbandry. In addition, the data collection procedure used in Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 pandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutions Fujiono, Nurul Hidayati, Desi Kurniati Agustina, Citra Siwi Hanayanti this study were observation and questionnaire distribution. Then, the data were analyzed qualita- tively. Finally, the researchers reduced, displayed, and verified the data. 3. Results and discussion Opportunities The pandemic has changed the lecturers’ instructional and learners’ learning style. They used the technology to join the class without come physically to College. Almost all learners (74%) felt more accessible and flexible to study English everywhere, they got convenience to communicate, chat, send and receive message directly without meet the lecturers in College. Both lecturers and learners can share information and resources each other easily through online platforms (Coman et al., 2020). Nothing physical interaction among of them during the pandemic to prevent the transmission of Covid-19. Challenges In nowadays, the pandemic has become challenges for a number of students, staff, and lecturers to handle their college teaching-learning activity. One of the challenges dealing with online delivery. Fujiono et al. (2021) stated that the learners obtained the problems of networks, and limited internet package. In additional issues, they could not hear lecturer’s voice when instructional strategy oc- curred in online class. Most of the learners wasted time to learn English through online platform when they got trouble with the signal. The data revealed that 28% students always, 35% often, and 20% some- times, and 17% never got trouble with the signal. In additional matter reported that the college students (25%) a little late, and 37% college students were late to send their task. Based on the observation, they could not teach and learn English effectively. This issue caused the learners were fairly interested (42%) to study online English, and the learners felt the lack of sociable among of the lecturers-learners in virtual or online class. The learners also discovered many online alternatives to be more expensive than the traditional teaching-learning in class. They should have the internet package to connect college English teaching- learning process through online application, such as Zoom, WhatsApp Group, Google Classroom, email, and YouTube. Almost all learners (82%) were complaint about financial to buy internet packages. In another case, Bhagat and Kim (2020) stated that the pandemic has influenced the family financial circumstance which implied on most of learners needed the financial aid. The pandemic also became an extra burden for the universities, as they experienced the budged challenges. Eventually, the college should lower the tuition fees for the students in this emergency situation. According to Dhawan (2020), sometimes the learners feel bored and are not involved in online teaching-learning process. The finding supported this research result that the learners (38%) less mo- tivated to learn English from home, and 21% less motivated to learn English in school. Solutions Some issues referred to online education system, and we could not ignore the crisis of online teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 emergency. Thus, the lecturers and learners should cooperate to | 49 | EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka): Culture, Language, and Teaching of English Vol. 7, No. 1, July 2022, pp. 47–52 | 50 | overcome the problems either online time management, the internet troubles, financial, learners’ en- thusiasm, or the strategy of online teaching-learning activity. Communication is also one of the keys to reach online teaching-learning goal amidst Covid-19. The lecturers invited the learners to join online class through various platform, such as WhatsApp group, zoom meeting, google classroom, email. The activity is the solution for lecturers-learners to avoid the covid-19 outbreak. The lecturers also have designed the instructional strategy by implementing games to overcome the learning mo- notonous in the online English teaching-learning. In line with this, Yani et al. (2021) investigated teachers’ problem during the Covid-19 school closure through observation, documentation, and in- terviews. The result revealed that the teacher faced some problems during the implementation of virtual learning, such as the difficulties in finding learning sources and in evaluating students’ work. In addition, from the data analysis, the data revealed that almost (87%) of the learners felt interactive and energetic to study English through online games. Table 1 describes the summary of the students’ responses on the questionnaire. The lecturers have found the greatly interactive, fun, and meaningful online English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 outbreak. In fact, the online program can be designed in order that they become more creative, interactive, relevant, Student-centered Learning, and group-based learning (Partlow & Gibbs, 2003). In line with this, many studies mention the important of strategy that the teacher should implement in classroom during the online learning (Anjarwati & Sa’adah, 2021; Lailiyah & Setiyaningsih, 2020; Wediyantoro et al. 2020) Table 1. The Students’ Responses on Online Teaching-Learning amidst Covid-19 Questionnaire Selection Are you interested in online learning? Very interested (25%) Interested (19%) Fairly interested (42%) Not interested (14%) Do you study online English more accessible and flexible? More accessible and flexible (50%) Flexible accessible and (24%) Fairly accessible and flexible (15%) Not accessible and flexible (11%) Do you get trouble with signal when online learning? Always (28%) Often (35%) Sometimes (20%) Never (17%) Do you submit task on time? Very punctual (21%) On time (17%) A little late (25%) Late (37%) Are you motivated to study English from home? Very motivated (23%) Motivated (19%) Less motivated (38%) Not motivated (20%) Are you motivated to learn English in school? Very motivated (36%) Motivated (31%) Less motivated (21%) Not motivated (12%) Do you feel interactive and energetic to study English with online games? Very interactive and energetic (75%) interactive and energetic (12%) Less interactive and energetic (8%) Not interactive and energetic (5%) Do you ever complaint about financial to buy internet package? Always (65%) Often (17%) Sometimes (10%) Never (8%) Online college English teaching-learning amidst Covid-19 pandemic: Opportunities, challenges, and solutions Fujiono, Nurul Hidayati, Desi Kurniati Agustina, Citra Siwi Hanayanti | 51 | 4. Conclusion The covid-19 pandemic has created opportunities, challenges, and solutions in online college teaching-learning. The pandemic has effected the learners’ learning and lecturers’ instruction style. They could be easy to teach and learn everywhere, more accessible and flexible in online class. How- ever, almost all learners felt unsatisfied to study English amidst Covid-19 outbreak. They were en- forced to apply technology such as mobile phones, laptop with poor internet connection. In addi- tion, they faced some troubles with the internet connection in online class. It caused some problems, such as they unable to hear the lecturers’ voice, they also felt lack of interaction, and they were also late to submit task through their email. The condition caused the learners to become bored, they needed brainstorming in virtual class. Responding to this situation, the lecturers are advised to imple- ment online games to make class more effective, efficient, and interactive. 5. References Abidah, A., Hidaayatullaah, H. N., Simamora, R. M., Fehabutar, D., & Mutakinati, L. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 to Indonesian education and its relation to the philosophy of “merdeka belajar”. Studies in Philosophy of Science and Education, 1(1), 38-49. https://doi.org/10.46627/sipose.v1i1.9 Adara, R., Puspahaty, N., Nuryadi, N., & Utama, W. (2021). Demotivation factors’ differences of high school EFL learners during Covid-19 pandemic: A quantitative study. 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