Se reconnaître en tant qu’apprenant en langues étrangères à l’époque de la pandémie. Quels défis pour la didactique des langues étrangères ?

Abstract

This article focuses on the challenges associated with the introduction of distance learning/teaching in Polish secondary schools following the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first part of the text, we outline the recommendations given to teachers at the beginning of the lockdown by the national authorities, then we present the first research studies that were already underway in June 2020, followed by later studies whose aim was to examine distance language teaching/learning in a more complex way. In the remainder of the article, we refer to the results of our empirical study to discuss learners' use of online learning tools (software, platforms, etc.), their learning management (planning, monitoring, assessment) and their relationships with classmates and teachers.

The survey we used for the research was carried out among 138 Polish secondary school students in 2021.Our study was based on the premise that - despite the negative opinions about online teaching/learning conveyed mainly by the media - confinement could prove advantageous for language learners who - on the face of it - should be prepared to work autonomously, a notion that has reigned supreme for years in the language classroom.