If you ask any English learner why they would prefer an online course over face to face, the most probable response would be because it’s convenient.

Such a response could be triggered by obvious reasons, the bottom line being that students are able to attend sessions and take English grammar tests at their own time or place of choice.

However, it’s worth noting that face to face courses have considerable advantages over online learn.

The following are some of the determinative factors that can assist any learner having difficulties in deciding the mode of learning.

Convenience

There is no doubt that online English courses are convenient as students from diverse linguistic backgrounds can readily access the course at any place (even in places where face to face classes may not be offered).

Additionally, such courses are flexible in time as the students and their tutors can comfortably interact without being in a mutual activity at the same time.

On the other hand face to face learning may be equally convenient mostly due to the teacher and peers’ interactions.

A lot can be grasped through one on one teaching where there is direct questions and responses as well as observation and learning from other peers through discussions. 

The spoken form of English requires a lot of observation and interaction with fluent speakers to grasp the correct pronunciation and this is mostly available through face to face.

Resources

Online English courses may provide a wide array of learning materials including audios, videos, podcasts or even interaction sessions but the main channel of engagement is used based on texts.

Video tutorials, tests or learners’ games and puzzles could be a great way to learn English. However, face to face courses may seem more resourceful.

Unlike online learning where there is significant distance from a school’s environment, face to face courses may offer substantial resources.

For instance those that can be made available through the peers, tutors, faculty or other related offices.

These resources may enhance students’ success through general social and academic integration, where students can engage and support each other. 

Discipline and Motivation

Self discipline is another key determinant of the mode of learning one should choose.

The online courses may deliver lots of content but is up to the learner’s initiative to access them, read and understand with very minimal supervision.

This might be challenging to student who lack skills or motivation to learn individually.

Face to face courses offer immense supervision and guides through homework and even motivation talks if need be.

The particular weaknesses (e.g. spelling or past tenses) of a learner can easily be identified and ironed out by the tutor on face to face basis.

This could be a motivating tool and learners get to finish the course unlike online courses where considerable drop outs may be witnessed for lack of student support systems.

Suitability to Course objectives

As mentioned earlier, English is a language that needs to be learnt through the written as well as the spoken form. Online learning may provide effective writing skills considering it is mainly text-based. But what about the spoken form? Indeed face to face learning builds a better platform to understand the spoken form of English. Interaction and other non verbal modes of communication such as intonation, figurative speech, facial expression or even gestures go a long way in mastery of English communication skills.

Credibility

Due to the growing trend of English online courses, tutors and designers have tried to transform the setting to fit that of a traditional class.

Websites have been designed to accommodate an online session where several people can interact simultaneously and hold discussions just like a normal classroom.

However, not all tutors or learners are conversant with the effective ways of decoding study content from one medium to another.

Similarly, ineffective translation may greatly affect learning as the appropriate meaning of some words may be lost. 

It is also reckoned that the job market is reluctant in recognizing credits from online courses compared to those of the traditional classroom.

It is misconceived that online learners might not have had good mastery of the curriculum and therefore not fit for a related job.

However this is not true although it remains an attitude that greatly affects online learners.

Every mode of learning has its own series of advantages and demerits but having provided the above factors it’s my hope that learners can make a better and informed decision.

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If you ask any English learner why they would prefer an online course over face to face, the most probable response would be because it’s convenient.

Such a response could be triggered by obvious reasons, the bottom line being that students are able to attend sessions and take English grammar tests at their own time or place of choice.

However, it’s worth noting that face to face courses have considerable advantages over online learn.

The following are some of the determinative factors that can assist any learner having difficulties in deciding the mode of learning.

Convenience

There is no doubt that online English courses are convenient as students from diverse linguistic backgrounds can readily access the course at any place (even in places where face to face classes may not be offered).

Additionally, such courses are flexible in time as the students and their tutors can comfortably interact without being in a mutual activity at the same time.

On the other hand face to face learning may be equally convenient mostly due to the teacher and peers’ interactions.

A lot can be grasped through one on one teaching where there is direct questions and responses as well as observation and learning from other peers through discussions. 

The spoken form of English requires a lot of observation and interaction with fluent speakers to grasp the correct pronunciation and this is mostly available through face to face.

Resources

Online English courses may provide a wide array of learning materials including audios, videos, podcasts or even interaction sessions but the main channel of engagement is used based on texts.

Video tutorials, tests or learners’ games and puzzles could be a great way to learn English. However, face to face courses may seem more resourceful.

Unlike online learning where there is significant distance from a school’s environment, face to face courses may offer substantial resources.

For instance those that can be made available through the peers, tutors, faculty or other related offices.

These resources may enhance students’ success through general social and academic integration, where students can engage and support each other. 

Discipline and Motivation

Self discipline is another key determinant of the mode of learning one should choose.

The online courses may deliver lots of content but is up to the learner’s initiative to access them, read and understand with very minimal supervision.

This might be challenging to student who lack skills or motivation to learn individually.

Face to face courses offer immense supervision and guides through homework and even motivation talks if need be.

The particular weaknesses (e.g. spelling or past tenses) of a learner can easily be identified and ironed out by the tutor on face to face basis.

This could be a motivating tool and learners get to finish the course unlike online courses where considerable drop outs may be witnessed for lack of student support systems.

Suitability to Course objectives

As mentioned earlier, English is a language that needs to be learnt through the written as well as the spoken form. Online learning may provide effective writing skills considering it is mainly text-based. But what about the spoken form? Indeed face to face learning builds a better platform to understand the spoken form of English. Interaction and other non verbal modes of communication such as intonation, figurative speech, facial expression or even gestures go a long way in mastery of English communication skills.

Credibility

Due to the growing trend of English online courses, tutors and designers have tried to transform the setting to fit that of a traditional class.

Websites have been designed to accommodate an online session where several people can interact simultaneously and hold discussions just like a normal classroom.

However, not all tutors or learners are conversant with the effective ways of decoding study content from one medium to another.

Similarly, ineffective translation may greatly affect learning as the appropriate meaning of some words may be lost. 

It is also reckoned that the job market is reluctant in recognizing credits from online courses compared to those of the traditional classroom.

It is misconceived that online learners might not have had good mastery of the curriculum and therefore not fit for a related job.

However this is not true although it remains an attitude that greatly affects online learners.

Every mode of learning has its own series of advantages and demerits but having provided the above factors it’s my hope that learners can make a better and informed decision.