EFL Students' Perceptions of E-learning Tools’ Effects on Students’ Engagement in English Speaking Skill Online Classes

Abstract

This paper aims to explore Vietnamese students' perceptions of the effects of e-learning tools on student engagement in English-speaking skills online classes. With a survey design and a mixed-method approach, the study investigated 100 participants, including sophomores and juniors, at the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City. Descriptive statistics and qualitative data gleaned from a questionnaire and 10 semi-structured interviews were analyzed using SPSS and thematic analysis. Findings show e-learning tools enhance student engagement by facilitating speaking discussion, evoking comfort, and contributing to students’ investment in the tasks. On the contrary, e-learning tools hinder student engagement by causing boredom, stress, and distraction. The study results suggest pedagogical implications for teachers in the design of more engaging English-speaking online lessons. Further, faculty and school leaders can consider the research findings when revising and updating their curriculum to meet the increasing demands of online learning and teaching, with learners' engagement as the centrality. Future research can delve more into inferential statistics on the effects of online classes on students' engagement in English speaking, listening, reading, or writing skills.