Teaching and learning the four English skills before and during the COVID-19 era: perceptions of EFL faculty and students in Saudi higher education

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, synchronous online learning replaced physical classes worldwide. However, sustaining the quality of education during this transition was a challenge. Specifically, teaching and learning the four English skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) among English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners in contexts such as Saudi Arabia required greater adjustments to meet learners’ demands during the pandemic. Within this context, this study explored how online teaching and learning helped develop the four English skills among Saudi EFL students. A survey was conducted among EFL faculty and learners in a Saudi Arabian higher-learning institution regarding the diverse aspects of language skills development before and during the pandemic. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that e-learning was most beneficial for writing and least beneficial for speaking and that writing was most nurtured and adopted in almost all schoolwork, while speaking was neglected during online courses. Indeed, instructors must be prepared for an effective online learning experience in the future. This study aims to strengthen the field of EFL teaching and learning in Saudi Arabia and related contexts by describing learners’ perceptions of their experiences before and during the pandemic.