DISTANCE LEARNING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

The main purpose of this paper is to identify features of distance learning of foreign languages during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the imposition of lockdown has greatly affected the educational process, and distance learning has temporarily become the main form of education. The empirical evidence is based on the findings of the first-hand sociological research conducted in November-December 2020 among the population of Russia. Drawing on the obtained data, the author concludes that pandemic-boosted distance learning of foreign languages is generally a less preferable form of acquiring knowledge and skills compared to face-to-face language education