Effectiveness of Students’ Distance Learning in English Business Communication: The Experience of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design

Abstract

Having the epidemiological situation caused by the spread of coronavirus, distance learning has become highly relevant in the world and Ukraine since 2020. Therefore it has become significant to identify, describe, and analyse the parameters of the correspondence of predicted and diagnosed educational results in distance learning in general English, English for specific purposes and business communication. The main aim is to outline strategies for increasing the effectiveness level of such activities. To obtain data to determine the effectiveness of distance practical classes, there have been used the results of regular final tests of the level of skills formation in vocabulary, grammar, reading, speaking, listening, and writing among 200 Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design students. These results were taken at the end of the spring semester of the 2019/2020 academic year and the autumn semester of the 2020/2021 academic year to compare with the same indicators of classroom studies in the autumn and spring semesters of the 2018/2019 academic year. To determine the degree of satisfaction with online learning of the English language, a survey of 20 teachers and 200 students has been carried out. It has been proved that distance learning is able to successfully solve a wide range of problems maintaining the quality of education while adapting lingua didactic science to the current information educational conditions and the development of new teaching methods.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning, face-to-face learning, general English, English for specific purposes, quality of education, Ukrainian high school students.