Secondary Schools (A Dialogue)

The purpose of this exercise was to consider how language teaching changed in response to the teaching conditions imposed by the pandemic (e.g., distanced online learning, face-to-face teaching with restrictions on activities, a hybrid situation where some pupils were present and some online, synchronous or asynchronous teaching) both during the pandemic (especially during lockdowns) and post-pandemic. Eight practitioners described their experiences honestly and openly through an asynchronous conversation, each giving an answer to six questions and then engaging with the answers given by others. Key points that emerged • All types of distanced learning magnified the challenges of regular teaching • Examples of very positive use of technology to meet the challenges of distanced learning • Departments tended to divide up responsibility for lesson planning to make this more efficient • Assessment of routine language was made more engaging and easier to monitor via technology • Stark differences between schools regarding teacher and pupil access to and expertise in technology The contributions provide a rich source of information which could provide the basis for research into effective language teaching pedagogy generally