Learning a language online - the new mainstream!
The year 2020 was defined by a singular catastrophic event --- though it happened among many --- and that was the global pandemic of COVID-19. Just about every single industry around the world has been negatively impacted by the terrible effects of the spread of this disease, but it’s perhaps education that has undergone the most sudden transformation.
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💻 Online Learning – From Fringe to Mainstream
One of the first changes to happen all over the world was education suddenly moving to the online space. From elementary school classrooms to weekend training classes, everything was being conducted online. At the time, it was felt that there was no other option and most made the move unwillingly.
In the current climate, however, where people --- especially parents --- are very conscious of public health and hygiene, the online learning space now has a lot more appeal that it did before. Being forced into the space for a period of time has shown many that far from just being a temporary solution, it’s actually quite a viable option.
Why has the online space outlived the pandemic to now become a genuinely desirable learning space? We explore below:
🙂 Online Advantage 1: Convenience
Having classes online, be they full-time courses for school or college, or part-time evening/weekend courses for language learning or something else, is massively more convenient than having to go to a physical classroom. This actually eliminates one of the main obstacles people meet when trying to keep their tuition in a foreign language.
You may have experienced this in the past. You’ve just finished work, and you’re feeling the strain of the day. The next thing on your schedule is to head over to your evening French class. You think to yourself, “hmm, maybe I’ll give it a miss tonight. I’m too tired, so I’ll be no good there anyway.” That one time turns into two times, and before long you’ve missed an entire month on the same pretext.
Being able to have classes online means you don’t have to add a new location to your daily schedule. You’re far more likely to keep your appointments when your classes fit more easily into your life.
🦺 Online Advantage 2: Safety
In the uncertain times of the pandemic when new outbreaks are always possible, keeping as many activities to those you can do at home is a great way to help out and stay safe. Furthermore, online classes are pandemic-proof because even in the event that we find ourselves in another lockdown, we can continue our instruction uninterrupted.
💸 Online Advantage 3: Affordability
Classes taught online can invariably be offered at a lower rate than those taught in a bricks-and-mortar school because there are so few overheads to worry about. The simplicity of the offering helps it to be cheaper, overall, but it doesn’t stop there.
With online classes, you don’t just save in the tuition, but also in the other costs involved with traveling to and from a school or learning center. Gas still isn’t free, you know! Nor is public transport. Being able to conduct everything at home can save you a bundle over time.
🧘 Online Advantage 4: Flexibility
Let’s say you’re learning a target language online. When it comes to meeting with your online tutor, then you’ll have to do that live and at a pre-arranged time, but other aspects don’t have to be so rigid. In addition, when you factor out commuting and other travel times, teachers too have more flexibility as to when they can teach you.
With other course content, online classes typically feature pre-recorded lessons or other pre-prepared content. You can review this whenever you have time, instead of having to be in a classroom at a fixed time to hear the teacher go over it in person.
👩🏫 Online Advantage 5: More Teacher Time
You might be taking part in a group class, but a lot of online language learning options, for instance, are 1-to-1 between you and the teacher. This gives you a lot more face time with the teacher, and you get 100 percent of their attention to help fix up your problems. In most cases, this will help you to progress more quickly since the teacher can offer more focused advice and give you more opportunity to practice and speak.
🏖️ Learning Online is Here to Stay!
Classes online did used to be somewhat fringe, reserved only for a few who embraced the internet more wholly. In 2021, however, it has been placed firmly in the mainstream, and is now even the preferred option for some health- and time-conscious learners. In our view, it’s a great thing...why not learn on a beautiful beach somewhere?