F2F or online lessons

Until 2020, online teaching was actually a small fraction of the teacher's work - the vast majority of courses were taught in person. This is the format we knew and expected as the standard for language courses. Printed textbooks, flashcards, whiteboards and markers. A good-quality teacher with good teacher skills.

A year later, face-to-face and online classes exist side by side as perfectly equivalent formats. In the online environment, we convert the materials into an interactive format, move online flashcards, use an online whiteboard and write on it all together. We continue to have a good-quality teacher with good teacher skills.

In terms of methodology, the two teaching formats differ - in methodology, in lesson preparation and in lesson delivery. We use different tools, we build the lessons differently. But what is not different is the output, i.e. a good-quality and beneficial language lesson during which the student learns something new and deepens their language knowledge and skills.

Are online lessons better than F2F lessons?

To a large extent, yes. In fact, apart from the aspects mentioned above, which vary in nature but not in output, they are considerably more time flexible than their presentational counterpart. Commuting to a lesson is a significantly limiting aspect in arranging replacement lessons or rescheduling regular language classes. In the online setting, it is much easier to seek and find common ground.

The second undeniable advantage is the much greater flexibility and a natural usage of the online world for learning. And it's not just the various platforms and online playfulness - the internet is a virtually bottomless well of resources for listening, audiovisual and written text based actvities. We can research and link information almost without limit, we can be much more flexible. This is not nearly as easily achievable in the face-to-face environment.

What are online lessons missing?

Online lessons have one limitation that even the camera, microphone and the lecturer's commitment may not make up for, and that is being in the same room together. If human contact is key to your learning, you will naturally be reluctant to accept online learning. However, weighing up the various pros and cons, at the very least, online lessons are certainly worth a try.