An-Najah National University Faculty of Graduate Studies DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS FACED DURING E-LEARNING AS PERCEIVED BY 101 STUDENTS AND AN-NAJAH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CENTER TEACERS By Islam Mohammad Arif Bani Oudi Supervisor Dr. Fawaz Aqel This Thesis is submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Methods of Teaching English Language, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. 2022 ii DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS FACED DURING E-LEARNING AS PERCEIVED BY 101 STUDENTS AND AN-NAJAH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CENTER TEACERS By Islam Mohammad Arif Bani Oudi This Thesis was defended successfully on 12/10/2022 and approved by: iii Dedication To all those who gave me the strength to turn my dreams into reality, To my dear mother and father, the symbol of endless love and giving, To my beloved sisters, Roqayah and Ikhlass who have illuminated my path towards success, To my dearest brothers, Imran, Arif and Moath who have constantly encouraged me to reach my goal, To my boss at work Rabea who has supported me to finish my theses, To all my friends and colleagues who were available to lend helping hand when needed, Dedicate this work iv Acknowledgment First, I would like to express my gratitude to the Almighty Allah for inspiring me to complete my educational journey and for giving me the patience to complete this study successfully. I would also like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Fawaz Aqel for his support, time and valuable notes. Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the teachers of the language center at An-Najah National University and the students of English course 101 for their cooperation in answering the questionnaires. v Declaration I, the undersigned, declare that I submitted the thesis entitled: DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS FACED DURING E-LEARNING AS PERCEIVED BY 101 STUDENTS AND AN-NAJAH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CENTER TEACERS I declare that the work provided in this thesis, unless otherwise referenced, is the researcher’s own work, and has not been submitted elsewhere for any other degree or qualification. Islam Mohammad A. Bani Oudi Student's Name: Signature: 12/10/2022 Date: vi Table of Contents Dedication ......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgment ............................................................................................................. iv Declaration ........................................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xi List of Appendices ......................................................................................................... xiii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter One: Background and problem of the study ................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Theoretical Background .............................................................................................. 5 1.3 The Statement of the problem ..................................................................................... 7 1.4 Aims and Objectives of the Study .............................................................................. 7 1.5 Questions of the study ................................................................................................. 8 1.6 Hypotheses of the study .............................................................................................. 8 1.7 Significance of the study ............................................................................................. 9 1.8 The Limitations of the study ..................................................................................... 10 1.9 Definition of terms .................................................................................................... 10 1.10 Operational definitions ........................................................................................... 11 1.11 Summary ................................................................................................................. 12 Chapter Two: Review of related literature ................................................................ 13 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1 What`s e-learning? ................................................................................................. 13 2.1.2 The importance of introducing technology into education and its effect on learning English language ................................................................................................... 14 2.1.3 The role of teacher and student in e-learning process ........................................... 20 vii 2.1.4 The effectiveness of e-learning in teaching-learning process before Covid-19 pandemic ............................................................................................................... 23 2.1.5 The effectiveness of e-learning in teaching-learning process in the light of Covid- 19 pandemic .......................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Related studies .......................................................................................................... 28 2.2.1 Studies related to the difficulties that face students in learning the Basic English language skills ....................................................................................................... 29 2.2.2 Studies related to student and teacher`s attitude toward e-learning during the Covid- 19 pandemic .......................................................................................................... 32 2.2.3 Studies related to the difficulties of e-learning from the perspective of students and teachers .................................................................................................................. 36 2.2.4 Comments on previous studies .............................................................................. 40 Chapter Three: Methodology and procedures ........................................................... 43 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 43 3.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 43 3.3 Population of the study ............................................................................................. 43 3.4 Sample of the study ................................................................................................... 43 3.5 Instrument of the study ............................................................................................. 45 3.6 Validity of the instrument ......................................................................................... 46 3.7 Reliability of the instrument ..................................................................................... 47 3.8 Procedures of the study ............................................................................................. 48 3.9 Variables of the study ............................................................................................... 48 3.10 Statistical analysis ................................................................................................... 49 3.11 Summary ................................................................................................................. 49 Chapter Four: The Results of the Study ..................................................................... 50 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 50 4.2 Questions were answered through students` questionnaire ...................................... 50 4.2.1 Results Related to the Study Questions ................................................................. 50 viii 4.2.2 Results related to the main questions, which is: "What are the difficulties that face students in learning English language skills during e-learning?" ......................... 50 4.2.3 Results related to the second question, which is: "What are the students’ perceptions toward e-learning?" ............................................................................................... 51 4.2.4 Results related to the third questions, which is: "What are the types of difficulties that face students in learning English language skills during e-learning?" ........... 52 4.2.5 Results related to the fourth question, which is: "Did e-learning increase the difficulties in learning the Basic English language skills?" .................................. 53 4.2.6 Results related to the fifth question, which is: "Which language skill is perceived to be more difficult than other skills during e-learning from the perspective of students? ................................................................................................................ 54 4.2.7 Results related to the study hypotheses ................................................................. 54 4.2.8 Results related to the first hypothesis .................................................................... 54 4.2.9 Results related to the second hypothesis ................................................................ 54 4.2.10 Results related to the third hypothesis ................................................................. 55 4.3 Questions were answered through teachers` questionnaire ...................................... 55 4.3.1 Results related to the first question which is: “What are the teachers` perceptions towards e-learning”. .............................................................................................. 55 4.3.2 Results related the second question which is “What are the difficulties that faced students in learning English language skills during e-learning as perceived by teachers? ................................................................................................................ 56 4.3.3 Results related to the third question which is “What are the difficulties that faced teachers in teaching English skills during e-learning implementation?” .............. 57 4.3.4 Results related to the fourth question which is “Did the teacher increase the difficulties that students faced during e-learning?” ............................................... 57 4.3.5 Results related to the study hypotheses ................................................................. 57 4.3.6 Results related to the first hypothesis .................................................................... 57 4.3.7 Results related to the second hypothesis ................................................................ 58 4.4 Summary ................................................................................................................... 58 Chapter Five: iscussions of the Results, Conclusion and Recommendations .......... 59 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 59 5.2 Discussion of the Results of Students` Questionnaire .............................................. 59 ix 5.2.1 Discussion of the results of first, second, third, fourth, and fifth question that were answered through students` questionnaire ............................................................ 59 5.2.2 Discussion of the results of the first question ........................................................ 59 5.2.3 Discussion of the results of the second question ................................................... 61 5.2.4 Discussion of the results of the third question ....................................................... 62 5.2.5 Discussion of the results of fourth question ........................................................... 65 5.2.6 Discussion of the results of fifth question ............................................................. 66 5.2.7 Discussion of the Results Related to the sub-questions ......................................... 66 5.2.8 Discussion of the results of the first sub-question, which states the following hypothesis .............................................................................................................. 66 5.2.9 Discussion of the results of the second sub-question, which sates the following hypothesis .............................................................................................................. 67 5.2.10 Discussion of the results of the third sub-question, which sates the following hypothesis .............................................................................................................. 68 5.3 Discussion of the Results of Teachers` Questionnaire ............................................. 68 5.3.1 Discussion of the results of sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth question that were answered through teachers` questionnaire ............................................................ 68 5.3.2 Discussion of the results of sixth question ............................................................. 68 5.3.3 Discussion of the results of the seventh question .................................................. 70 5.3.4 Discussion of the results of the eighth question .................................................... 71 5.3.5 Discussion of the results of the ninth question ...................................................... 73 5.3.6 Discussion of the Results Related to sub-questions ............................................... 73 5.3.7 Discussion of the results related to the first sub-question, which sates the following hypothesis .............................................................................................................. 73 5.3.8 Discussion of the results related to the second sub-question, which states the following hypothesis ............................................................................................. 74 5.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 74 5.5 Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 76 5.5.1 Recommendations for Teachers ............................................................................. 76 5.5.2 Recommendations for the university administration ............................................. 76 x 5.5.3 Recommendations for future research ................................................................... 76 References ....................................................................................................................... 78 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 89 107 ............................................................................................................................ الملخص xi List of Tables Table (1): Sample distribution according to Gender variable........................................ 44 Table (2): Sample distribution according to academic level ......................................... 44 Table (3): Sample distribution according to academic specialization ............................ 44 Table (4): Sample distribution according to Gender variable........................................ 44 Table (5): Sample distribution according to years of experience .................................. 45 Table (6): Reliability coefficient of each domain and the total score of the questionnaire for students ......................................................................................................... 47 Table (7): Reliability coefficients of each domain and the total score of the teachers` questionnaire ...................................................................................................... 47 Table (8): Means, standard deviations, percentages and the total score of all domains . 51 Table (9): Means, standard deviations, percentages and the total score of students` responses about their perceptions toward e-learning ........................................... 51 Table (10): Means, standard deviations, percentages, effect degree and the total score of students` responses about the administrative difficulties ..................................... 52 Table (11): Mean, standard deviations, percentage, effect degree and the total score of the students` responses about the personal difficulties .............................................. 98 Table (12): Mean, standard deviation, percentage, effect degree and the total score of students` responses about the technological difficulties ...................................... 98 Table (13): Mean, standard deviation, percentage, effect degree and the total score of students` responses about the difficulties in practicing listening skill .................. 99 Table (14): Mean, standard deviation, percentage, degree effect and the total score of students` responses about the difficulties in practicing the reading skill .............. 99 Table (15): Mean, standard deviation, percentage, effect degree and the total score of students` responses about the difficulties in practicing the speaking skill .......... 100 Table (16): ,ean, standard deviation, percentage and the total score of students` responses about the difficulties in practicing the writing skill ........................................... 100 Table (17): T-test for one sample to examine the first hypothesis ............................... 100 Table (18): Mean, standard deviation, percentage and the effect degree of students` responses about the difficulties in learning the four Basic English language skills during e-learning .............................................................................................. 101 xii Table (19): T-Test for independent sample of the effect of e-learning on English language skills learning difficulties as perceived by students due to Gender .................... 101 Table (20): T-Test for independent samples of the effect of e-learning on English language skills learning difficulties as perceived by students due to Academic Specialization ............................................................................................................ ......................................................................................................................... 102 Table (21): One-Way ANOVA to test the effect of e-learning on the English language skills learning difficulties as perceived by students due to Educational Level ... 102 Table (22): Mean, standard deviation, percentage and the effect degree of teachers` responses about their perceptions toward e-learning ......................................... 103 Table (23): Mean, standard deviation, percentage, effect degree and the total score of teachers` responses about the difficulties that faced students in learning English language skills during e-learning ...................................................................... 104 Table (24): Mean, standard deviation, percentage, effect degree and the total score of teachers` responses about the difficulties that faced teachers in teaching English skills during e-learning implementation ............................................................ 105 Table (25): T-Test for one sample to examine the hypothesis .................................... 105 Table (26): T-Test for the independent samples to investigate the effect of e-learning on English language skills teaching difficulties as perceived by teacher due to Gender ......................................................................................................................... 105 Table (27): One way ANOVA to test the effect of e-learning on English language skills teaching difficulties due to Years of experiences .............................................. 105 xiii List of Appendices Appendix (A): Questionnaire ....................................................................................... 89 Appendix (B): Questionnaire ....................................................................................... 93 Appendix (C): The Validation Committee for the Questionnaire .................................. 96 Appendix (D): Permission of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at An-Najah National University to carry out the Study ........................................................................ 97 Appendix (E): Tables .................................................................................................. 98 xiv DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS FACED DURING E-LEARNING AS PERCEIVED BY 101 STUDENTS AND AN-NAJAH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CENTER TEACERS By Islam Mohammad Arif Bani Oudi Supervisor Dr. Fawaz Aqel Abstract This study has researched into the difficulties that faced students in learning the basic English language skills during e-learning in terms of their perceptions towards e-learning and the types of these difficulties. The study also sought to understand An-Najah National University Language Center teachers` perceptions towards e-learning and the difficulties they faced while teaching during e-learning in terms of its effectiveness during COVID- 19 pandemic. In addition, the study examined the effect of the variables of gender, academic major and year of study on students` perceptions. It also examined the effect of gender and years of experience on teachers` perceptions. To these ends of the study, the researcher developed two questionnaires: one for students and one for teachers. The former consisted of eight domains: students` attitudes towards e-learning, administrative difficulties, technological difficulties, personal difficulties, difficulties in practicing the speaking skill, difficulties in practicing the listening skill, difficulties in practicing the reading skill and difficulties in practicing the writing skill. The latter consisted of three domains: teachers` attitudes towards e-learning, difficulties in teaching English language skills and the difficulties that faced students. The student questionnaire was administered to 140 male and female students who studied English 101 online while the teacher questionnaire was administered to 30 male and female English teachers at An-Najah National University’s Language Center. All the 140 students completed the questionnaire while 15 teachers completed the instrument sample of the study. The results of this descriptive study revealed that students and teachers had a mediocre/ underwhelming perception towards e-learning in light of Covid-19 pandemic. The results also revealed a number of personal, technological and administrative difficulties that hindered successful learning of the English language skills. The technological difficulties were the major cause behind poor effectiveness of e-learning in learning English language xv skills. Furthermore, the results showed that the difficulties in practicing the listening skill ranked first, followed by speaking, writing and reading due to the poor infrastructure problems such as power outages and lack of internet services. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were found at α=0.05 in the difficulties that faced students during e-learning which could be due to gender, academic major and year of study variables. There were also no statistically significant differences in the difficulties that faced teachers during e-learning which could be attributed to gender and years of experience. In light of these findings, the researcher recommends enriching Palestinian teachers and students with knowledge on how to use educational technology hardware and software. She also recommends organizing training programs/ and workshops for teachers and students to overcome e-learning phobia and make students` environment suitable for e- learning before starting using it. Keywords: Difficulties in learning; English language skills; E-Learning. 1 Chapter One Background and problem of the study 1.1 Introduction Language is considered the most effective way for understanding and communication between the members of any society. Language, as (Kramsch, 2015) indicated, is the main principle of communication. This medium is closely related to culture whereas people use words to express events, ideas and facts. Words are also used to express attitudes, beliefs, convictions and point of views in the sense that language expresses the real culture. At the same time, members of any society express not only their experiences through language, but they also create new experiences of language such as writing emails and speaking on the phone which use special expressions and languages. In addition, there are expressions and terms that are prohibited from being used because they are socially undesirable by people and society. Language is a symbol of a society`s identity that includes not only spoken language but also written language. Not only what is appropriate, for whom and under what circumstances, but what is the appropriate text (the application form, the business letter, the political pamphlet) because they are sanctioned by cultural conventions. English is a global language because it is widely used in scientific research, education, travel and tourism, entertainment, and communication. (Melitz, 2016) indicated that English is lingua franca which means groups that do not share the same native language use English language that is known to make communication possible. Also, English has become the principal foreign language of all the countries that influenced by British colonialism and the main language that is used in business, trade and commerce by these countries or regions. In addition, most students who aspire to complete their studies in foreign countries must have knowledge of the English language because most books in the field of medicine, science, technology and engineering are written in English. English is necessary for everyone who is looking for a new job whether in his country or in other countries (foreign countries), as cited by (Rao, 2019). English language is taught as a foreign language to the first grade in order to gain a greater skill so most universities, as (Yahya M. , 2012) pointed out, have placement English exams for all newly enrolled students to determine their level of proficiency. (Flucher, 2 1997) explained that most educational institutions follow a policy to examine the proficiency of all new students in the English language. Regardless of their native language, students are given a placement test to determine the number of students who may face problems or fail to pass a specialization because of their poor language skill. In other words, the placement test is the first step toward developing the English language by giving students English courses according to their levels. (Wall, Clapham, & Alderson , 1994) confirmed that placement tests are not designed by individual teachers and are used to make decisions across the institution rather than within individual classes. Placement tests should identify those students who must need English because these tests accurately measure their language and the content of them should be appropriate to the use of the tests. The last two decades have witnessed a revolution in language teaching and learning due to the beginning of technology as cited by (Shyamlee & Phil, 2012). The rapid development of technology has led to the emergence of new teaching models so it has become possible to choose any means of technology such as radio, television, PowerPoint, computer and the internet and use it in the learning and teaching process. (Shyamlee & Phil, 2012) also clarified that the use of technology in the field of teaching and learning does not mean that the traditional or old ways of learning English have led to the destruction of the student`s abilities and reduce his/her efficiency, but the number of English learners are increasing and EFL students learn English for more than just fun. Because of that, different teaching methods have been implemented to test the effectiveness of the teaching process. Teaching and learning process have to stride into the world of multimedia technology to enhance students motivation (students are not too dependent on their native language, but they will be motivated to communicate with each other) and get them involved in the language learning. After the emergence of some technological tools such as television and computers, the internet appeared mostly in the United States. There was a feeling and trend since its appearance in the eighties that it would play a major role in learning English language, as (Melitz, 2016) explained American Standard Code for learning Information, ASCII was the only script available on the internet until the nineties but then it became available in other languages. After the appearance of social media like Facebook, twitter and YouTube, English become very modern and fashionable because most applications use 3 English and most people use that applications and access to internet and other IT facilities, as (Awoyemi, Emergent Trends in English Usage: Language and the Internet , 2013)emphasized, requires a mastery of the language of access, namely English. Also, (Chapelle, 2003) asserted that the internet and other electronic resources make English" large quantities of English" available to learners and this has amplified the importance of English globally. There has become a tendency among schools and educational institutions to adopt technology in teaching methods so it has become an essential part in most aspects of life. (Yahya, Ramakrisnan, Hasrol, & Abdul Aziz, 2012) stressed that most institutions prefer to use technology and e-learning methods inside the traditional classroom in order to ensure that learners can understand a specific martial better than the same material in the traditional methods. The students will be more engaged and attracted to the subject and the class that uses technology, but at the same time these researchers emphasized that e- learning methods are not acceptable to the people who are afraid of using technology and refuse to change. Technology is important in teaching and learning, as (Alexender, 2001) explained, for many reasons. Among them, higher education may become unable to continue its monopoly on the delivery of education. It faces competition with other universities in all countries if they fail to bring their online system to global standards. In addition, the appearance of internet and technological revolution increase the necessity of experience new ways or methodologies to teach English effectively, so the e-learning system has emerged as one of the most important tool of teaching. E-learning helps teachers during learning-teaching process because one main advantage of the e-learning environment, according to (Kotzer & Elran, 2012) is the freedom of teachers to change, add or use educational methods according to their needs which means that they have important and effective role in improving the quality of learning. The controversy over the appropriate way or ways to use technology in teaching and learning process and at the same time to maintain and preserve the use of old methods in education have led to the emergence of two new terms: E-learning and blended learning. There is a difference between the two terms, as (Barkhodaee, 2013) explained. E-learning includes any educational activity that takes place in an electronic environment. The facilitator(teacher) and learners are not in the same physical space together and the e- learning course are resource –intensive while blended learning describes any learning and 4 training activity supported by the use of technology and takes place in a more traditional (face-to-face)environments. It aims to integrate technology with the traditional class. In addition, (Barkhodaee, 2013) stressed that the decision to adopt e-learning or blended learning is a difficult decision and depends largely on the nature of the learners "the profile of the learners". Because of that, groups of learners in some environments are comfortable to do their learning in a virtual classroom while others who prefer face-to- face interaction and less technology will become frustrated and confused in the learning environment. There are many factors that affect the effectiveness of teaching and learning process including learning English such as classroom environment, weather, material and time but the most important of these factors is student`s motivation toward the class and the course(material) especially in remedial classroom(weak class). The revolution of e- learning had given the lecturers an idea to adopt blended learning in such classrooms (weak classes) with the hope of engaging the students with the lessons taught, (Yahya, Ramakrisnan, Hasrol, & Abdul Aziz, 2012). E-learning starts as an assistant factor to the English language teaching for many years. In other words, e-learning is used as a tool to enhance and improve learning beside the traditional ways of teaching that consist of teacher, student and learner, (Welsh, Brown, Wanberg, & Simmering, 2003). Also, (Tamandani & Jahanshahi, 2016) emphasized that using e-learning techniques and tools enhance learning different English language skills such as reading, listening, writing and speaking. The different e-learning tools and techniques such as internet-based material, websites, YouTube and online or offline dictionaries can help students to improve their English language skills especially for non- native speakers of English language. Gaining English skills leads to a wider and more comprehensive English language and improves the person`s language in general. Covid-19 pandemic change the learning and teaching process significantly because e- learning became the most suitable and the safest way of teaching. (Radha, Mahalakshmi, Kumar, & Saravanakumar, 2020)asserted that any frightening event in the world has a clear impact on education and that`s what happened during the beginning of Covid- 19.Most countries have implemented a comprehensive closure policy involving educational institutions that also shut down in order to stop the spread of Covid-19. This 5 event prompted educational institutions and officials to look for alternative methods to complete the teaching and the learning process during the closure period and the only solution was to go to e-learning. E-learning is the appropriate means for everyone taking into accounts its availability and comfort in its use. It enables the learner to access the required content or material at any time so the transformation from offline teaching to online teaching was made. According (Hatip, 2020) also added that teachers and students are forced to teach and learn by using available learning technologies and platforms. This transformation of learning led to many learning problems including: the ability of students and teachers to use technology is weak, and learning facilities and the internet are not well distributed, but e-learning has become the mandatory component of all educational institutions around the world due to pandemic crisis of Covid-19. 1.2 Theoretical Background There is no unified theory of e-learning although there is a successful application of learning theories to e-learning as (Janelli, 2018) explained. At the same time, e-learning needs new theoretical approach because e-learning differs from traditional learning (face to face learning) in many aspects such as its communities. Also, good instructional design principles can be used in teaching and learning if e-learning development depends on theoretical framework, Mayer (2005) as cited in (Janelli, 2018). Open learning, learning communities, distributed learning, knowledge building communities, and communities of practice are the pedagogical models in e-learning. These pedagogical models form the basis of learning theory because they derived from knowledge acquisition. These models link e-learning theory to e-learning practice, Dabbagh (2005) as cited in (Aparicio, Bacao, & Oliveira, 2016).Also (Dabbagh, 2005) confirmed that e-learning developers must have sufficient awareness of learning theories and the ability to relate theory to practice because meaningful e-learning needs grounded design approach. Many scholars agree that the existing theories of learning can be applied to e-learning such as (Brown, 2014) who asserted that sociocultural theory, interactional hypothesis and connectivism try to investigate the impact of new media on English second language students. These theories emphasized that digital technology has shaped the way we learn whereas students who aspire to develop their language are finding the help outside schools 6 through new media. Sociocultural theory insisted that the use of different modes of communication such as digital media and speaking motivate the acquisition of language but we have to keep in mind that those tools cannot be used in any context that we would like since there use in different ways depend on the activity and the development of communication skills. Interactional hypothesis explained that individuals learn from one another intuitively in the digital environment. Second language acquisition depends on the exchange of knowledge "negotiating meaning" through interaction between individuals. For example, the practice of online game considers a means to communicate meaning and foster social relationships that will develop literacy. Also, connectivism measure knowledge in terms of connections. In other words, a student who interacts with other students via a social network such as Facebook has the possibility to develop their language than a student who does not have such relations. At the same time, we should take in consideration that literacy requires the learners to focus on both proficient input and output proficiencies so we are not free to use these tools in any context especially in the case of learning a second language like English. It is necessary to develop e-learning skills since the existence of solid theories of e- learning is not enough to develop e-learning in particular and education in general. To develop these skills, the following must be developed: first, academic information system which introduces the educational material electronically, the learning developments, and communication channel between teachers and students especially students who study part-time. Second, e-learning system includes several e-learning materials, e-learning exercises and teaching steps for foreign language teachers. Finally, online testing system by which students register and answer the placement test electronically without consuming time, (Mironovova, Fedic, & Chmelikova, 2010). The spread of the COVID-19 as a global threat has made e-learning an alternative to face to face learning especially in the technological and advancement era. The flexibility of e- learning coupled with the corona crises has caused e-learning to emerge as one of the preferred modes because of the ease access to e-learning resources and the ease interaction between teachers and students. In other words, the role of e-learning is closely linked with instructional goals, (Ananga, 2020). 7 1.3 The Statement of the problem Before March 2020, teaching – learning process focused on teaching students in traditional classroom. Many methodologists like Berman & Cheng (2001) and Aydogan (2014) aim to make the traditional classroom an effective environment for learning. With the technological revolution, computers and internet become part of the traditional classroom. Teachers and students use technology as supporting way to enhance and improve teaching and learning at the same time which many researchers called it blended learning. Also, there are attempts to give online courses in specific situation for specific reasons. After March 2020, new need appeared because students and teachers are no longer in the same physical space together because of the spread of Covid-19. The teaching – learning process should be continued although students and teachers should have to be apart to stay safe. This problem promoted the ministry of education and higher education to teach students through Moodle and Zoom as a replacement way to what students and teachers were doing in classrooms. E-learning during Covid-19 was the only way of teaching and learning although it was unfamiliar way of teaching and learning before the pandemic. Teachers used e-learning tools in the traditional classroom in order to help students to understand specific subject or subjects more easily than the same subject in the traditional way (without integrating technology into the classroom). Teachers were using e-learning tools just in few courses to motivate or engage students to learn specific subject by using technology. Also, students did not look to the Moodle unless the electronic material was an important part of the subject or the subjects in which students will be tested. 1.4 Aims and Objectives of the Study This study aimed at investigating the difficulties that faced students in learning the Basic English language skills and teachers` and students` perception toward the implication of e-learning during COVID-19 Pandemic. The Objectives of the study This study aims to investigate the difficulties in learning the Basic English language skills that face students during e-learning. 8 The study tries to investigate these objectives: - To find out the difficulties in learning the English language skills that face students during e-learning. - To examine the type of difficulties in learning English language skills. - To point out the most difficult skill to acquire or practice during e-learning. - To clarify the difficulties in learning English language skills as perceived by teachers. - To find out if the e-learning affects students` difficulties in learning the Basic English language skills or certain skill is more difficult to acquire during e-learning system. 1.5 Questions of the study Main question 1. What are the difficulties that face students in learning English language skills during e- learning due to Covid-19 pandemic? Sub questions 1. What are the students’ perceptions towards E- learning? 2. What are the teachers' perceptions toward E- learning? 3. What are the types of difficulties that face students in learning English language skills during E- learning due to Covid-19? And did the obstacles that faced teachers during e-learning implementation increase the difficulties that faced students? 4. Did e- learning increase the difficulties in learning certain English language skills? 5. Which language skill is perceived to be more difficult than other skills to learn from the perspective of students and teachers? 1.6 Hypotheses of the study The study attempt to test the following null hypotheses: 1. There are no statistical significant differences at (a=0.05) in the difficulties in learning English language skills due to e- learning. 2. There are no statistical significant differences at (a=0.05) in the English skills learning difficulties during e-learning due to gender. 3. There are no statistical significant differences at (a=0.05) in English skills learning difficulties during e- learning due to specialization. 9 4. There are no statistical significant differences at (a=0.05) in English language skills learning difficulties during e-learning due to educational level (first, second, third or fourth year). 5. There are no statistical significant differences at (a=0.05) in English language skills teaching difficulties during e-learning due to teachers` gender. 6. There are no statistical significant differences at (a=0.05) in English skills teaching difficulties during e-learning due to teachers` years of experience. 7. There are no statistical significant differences at (0.05) in increasing the difficulty that faced students in learning English skills during e-learning due to the difficulties that faced teachers during e-learning implementation. 1.7 Significance of the study The researcher believes that there is a lack of information about the difficulties of learning English skills through the e-learning system in the case of reliance on e-learning as the primary and the only means of teaching and learning. The sudden shift from face to face learning to online learning (e-learning) during the complete closure due to Covid-19 led to the use of e-learning tools in teaching and learning English language although many researchers such as Assasfeh, Zuraiq and Al-shaboul (2011) believe that English should be taught in authentic situation(classroom environment). The findings of this study will show the necessity to improve the e-learning system in addition to its defects or not. If the researcher finds the difficulties and the types of difficulties in learning English skills that face students during e-learning due to Covid-19, the ministry of education and higher education will get an opportunity to reduce those difficulties. The student will be able to know the skill or the skills that can be improved or acquired through e-learning and the skills he`s going to have hard time gaining. The teacher will have knowledge of skills and experiences which are essential to various English language skills during e-learning. The teacher will have also knowledge of those skills which need additional effort to be taught through e-learning system. In addition, the ministry of education will have the basic essential information about the difficulties and ease of learning English skills through e-learning to improve the e-learning system. Furthermore, this research will be a step towards finding out whether the difficulties of learning English language skills are limited to the students of An-Najah National University or it includes all students at Palestinian universities or these difficulties are different from those faced by students learning 10 English as a foreign language in other countries. This research is essential to know the reasons that lead to these difficulties because these reasons shape students` perception toward e-learning. No e-learning statement is not just a phrase or view but a statement that resulted from major causes or reasons. In other word, knowing the problem is half of the solution. This study is an attempt or a step toward finding a solution to e-learning problems that students face during learning their English language courses by looking for the reasons and manifestations of these difficulties. 1.8 The Limitations of the study This study is conducted during the academic year 2021-2022 on students who studied English course 101 electronically and teachers of English language center at An-Najah National University to identify the difficulties that faced student during e-learning in learning English language skills. Limitations of the study are: 1. Topical limitation: the study is restricted to studying the difficulties of learning English language and does not include other aspects. 2. Spatial limitation: the study is conducted at An-Najah National University. In other words, the result of this study can be generalized only to students of An-Najah University and can`t be generalized to other universities. 3. Temporal limitation: the study is conducted in the academic year 2021-2022 which indicate that the study examined the state of e-learning in an exceptional circumstance, Covid-19 pandemic. 4. Population limitation: the study is just for the students who studies English course 101 (no other English courses) during the Covid-19 and the teachers of the language center at An-Najah National University who have experienced e-learning during the pandemic. 1.9 Definition of terms Here are definitions of some helpful terms related to the study: - Language is a way to communicate among individuals or speakers of different dialects which are all developed from one earlier speech form. In other words, the 11 language is more nominal than the dialects because it runs on a particular system or special speech form (Haugen, 1966). - Language can be defined also as a verbal activity enables a certain person to produce certain sounds or marks for certain reasons. His beliefs or desires give him a reason to produce that sounds and the person who responds to that sound does so for a certain reason (Lewis, 1975). Skill is the ability to do something well (Husain N. , 2015). - Language skills: language is a complex skill includes two basic types of skills which are productive skills and receptive skills. Productive skills include speaking and writing because the learner is active. He or she produces sounds in speaking or symbols in writing while using these skills. Receptive skills, on the other hand, include listening and reading because the learner is passive and receive information through listening and reading (Husain N. , 2015). - E-learning: a way to convey information and instructions to learners or individuals through the use of computer network technology and through the internet. E-learning can be divided into two types: Asynchronous e-learning and synchronous e-learning. The first one refers to e-learning that is available from any location at any time of the day while the second one refers to e-learning that requires all learners from diverse location to be at the same time in front of their computers (Welsh, Brown, Wanberg, & Simmering, 2003). - E-learning as defined by (Sidhoum, 2013)can be seen as a method of teaching by using modern communication mechanism like a computer, its network and its multiple mode of sound, image, graphics, search mechanism, electronic libraries, as well as internet portals whether remotely or in the classroom. The point is to use all kinds of technology to give information to the learner in the shortest time and least effort. 1.10 Operational definitions - English language is the main foreign language taught in Palestinian schools and universities. It includes four basic skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing. 12 - E-learning is the primary and the only way of teaching and learning during Covid-19 where teachers and students are not in the same physical space together. E-learning system includes two main tools which are Zoom and Moodle. Zoom platform is used to give lectures while Moodle is used to submit electronic materials and access exams. - English course 101 is a compulsory course which student can study in any semester, even if it’s the last one of his or her college. - Difficulties mean the problems or the obstacles that student can`t pass easily in learning English language skills during e-learning due to Covid-19. 1.11 Summary In this chapter, the researcher presented a brief introduction of the importance of conducting this study during Covid-19 on students and teachers of the English language center at An-Najah National University. The study aims to investigate the difficulties in learning English language skills that faced students during e-learning due to the pandemic in order to help teachers or other researchers make a comparison between the difficulties in learning English language during e-learning due to the pandemic and the difficulties in learning English language in traditional classroom. This research will be a step towards the usage of e-learning to teach and learn English as an alternative to face-to-face education in Palestinian universities and vice versa. Although there have been many studies that have demonstrated the positive and negative impact of using e-learning in teaching and learning process during the pandemic, few studies have been conducted in Palestine to show the difficulties of using e-learning on learning English language skills due to this global emergence situation. Thus, this study tried to fill this gap and to explore the main difficulties in learning the basic English language skills that faced students as perceived by teachers and students themselves. 13 Chapter Two Review of related literature 2.1 Introduction This chapter mainly deals with issues related to the topic of this study which are presented in three parts. First, the initial part consists of five subsections presented as follow: what`s e-learning, the importance of introducing technology into education and its effects on learning English language, the role of teacher and student in e-learning process, the effectiveness of e-learning in teaching-learning process before covid-19 and the effectiveness of e-learning in the light of covid-19. Second, a number of related previous studies are reviewed in the second part. It consists of three subsections which are the difficulties that face students in learning the Basic English language skills, students and teachers` attitude toward e-learning during the covid-19 pandemic, and the difficulties of e-learning from the perspectives of teachers and students. Third, a summary presents the third part of this chapter. 2.1.1 What`s e-learning? Researchers differed about the definition of e-learning, as it happened with a lot of terms. This led to the multiplicity of its definition especially with the presence of other terms such as distance learning, flexible learning and virtual learning, Kansara (2005) as cited in (Al-Sadhan, 2015). E-learning according to Rosenberg (2001) as cited in (Soliman, 2014) refers to the internet technologies that are used to enhance knowledge and performance. These technologies such as computer and communication technology can provide solutions to enhance the learning. E-learning can also be defined as a means of delivering information and instructions to individuals through the use of computer network technology, over an intranet or through the internet (Welsh, Brown, Wanberg, & Simmering, 2003). Rossi (2009) as cited in (Arkorful & Abaido, 2014) believes that e-learning is a concept that includes all applications related to learning methods and processes. 14 According to (Warrier, 2006), e-learning differs from traditional learning because it makes students live a dignified life outside the classroom through the usage of various means of e-learning which free the students from the instructions of the traditional classroom environments. In addition, (Mayer, 2020) deems that e-learning means the computer-delivered instruction(multimedia presentations, instructional videos, interactive simulations, virtual classrooms, online courses and educational games) that can be delivered on a variety of devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, smart phones, smart TVs and virtual reality systems. Furthermore, (Saif, 2019) conceives that e-learning is the delivery of information to the learner with less effort, shorter time and more usefulness. In other words, e-learning is a method of learning to deliver information to the learner through the use of modern communication means such as a computer, its network and its multimedia such as sound, image, graphics and electronic libraries whether remotely or in the classroom. Moreover, e-learning is the process of moving to distance learning by using modern means of communication instead of face- to- face interaction in the classroom to achieve the planned educational outcomes. It is also considered a type of learning that has long been talked about the need for it in the educational process. It has become an urgent necessity for the continuation of education in conditions that impose the necessity of social distance (Abu Shkheedim , Khalilah, Al-Amad , & Shadeed, 2020). 2.1.2 The importance of introducing technology into education and its effect on learning English language In the first place, the use of technology in learning and teaching process, as (Alexender, 2001) emphasized, was not random and without cases. Technology has come to improve the quality of education and improve student`s learning and reduced the cost of education. Higher education faced competition with other universities because the non-use of electronic education system in the educational process has considered a threat of failure. There are many considerations that govern a student`s view of e-learning or the conviction in the use of e-learning. One of them is the lack of time and the long distance to get to the lecture hall or campus so students are not committed to courses. The second reason is the 15 student`s experience of using technology where the skill of using technology affects student learning and his/her participation in e-learning activities. The student who often has little experience in technology will prefer face to face education. The third is the assessment. If the electronic material and students` interaction with it affect the assessment process, the student will attempt to interact with it. If it is an additive that does not affect assessment, it will be useless and students will not interact with it. With the sudden proliferation of personal computers during the 1980s, there was a need to use technology in the teaching-learning process to improve the quality of available information so technology became a symbol of change. The internet also has an impact on the learning process because it offers an alternative and creative ways of learning. The internet helps learners access desired information in an easy and quick way. In other words, the internet has become an efficient source for information and a method to share information in an easy, fast and cheap way. Learners can also access information about their courses and activities from different sources quickly and without difficulty. They have the ability to evaluate and synthesize those sources, (Tutkun, 2011). Also, (Green, 2005) added to those reasons to which Alexender and Tulkun referred. He said that technology can provide English language students with valuable experience during language learning. Technology, especially computers, can provide English language students with additional language opportunities (a rich language experiences) beyond normal classroom instructions. In other words, technology can help English language students to develop some of their language skills. One way to use computers by EL students is to learn vocabulary in context and with visual clues which help them to understand it effectively. Also, the use of graphics and clip art can help students to develop their writing skills. It makes the learning process much more enjoyable because it`s a good way for students to convey their thoughts clearly. Besides, the using of email is a good language learning activity to improve writing because students can use meaningful language in authentic texts. Technology can help students to improve their reading skills by computer-based instruction as well. It is a kind of teaching, with the help of software, through which teachers give instructions, ideas and activities for certain subjects. The need to introduce technology to education has led to the emergence of different ways of using technology in education because communication is the main 16 purpose of English language teaching as many e-learning activities require communication, (Pekarova & Bitljanova, 2015). In the same way, (Mironovova, Fedic, & Chmelikova, 2010) agrees with Timothy that the students who have prior knowledge and prior familiarity with the use of technology are more attracted to e-learning and its various activities than others, and students who study part-time can use technology in its various forms to communicate and interact with other students. Technology and e-learning are also important for the English teacher because e-learning is an effective method to distribute, create and evaluate different methodology ideas. In addition, the teacher and the student can make an effective use of presentation, pictures, notes, animation and communicate with each other if there is solid information and communication technologies equipment. Furthermore, e-learning is inexpensive and time-consuming friendly. In contrast, (Bashiwa & Daroush, 2006) explained that there are four key elements that affect the role of technology in developing and diversifying educational opportunities: first, educational policies which are the inputs to the educational process such as curricula, programs, policies and intellectual potential. Second, technological means that control the learning process such as methods and techniques. Third, the status and the potential of educational institutions, their type, culture, identity and community in which they are located. Fourth, the quality of learning outcomes based on the objectives of the educational institution. In other words, quality education can be fulfilled by use of technology, adjusting to changes in the environment, continuing evolution in the educational institutions and ease of access to information of educational services. Furthermore, (Husain, Octavia, & Arsyam, 2016) pointed out that e-learning has three functions to improve learning which are supplement or additional, complement and replacement. It is an additional (supplement) when the students have the freedom to look at the electronic material or neglect it. In this case, it is not mandatory for a student to access the e-learning material. It is complementary if the e-learning material has been developed to promote or strengthen the base material or address some of the students` weakness. It is enriching for students, who can quickly master or understand the subject matter that presented by face to face, in order to give them the opportunity to access the e-learning material that was developed for them. 17 Based on the forgoing, there have been two types of e-learning, as (Al-Sayyad & Al- Akkad, 2009) explained. E-learning can be classified according to the implementation or application environment to two types: first, online learning: this environment eliminates the concept of school completely and the material is presented by network. Student depends completely on the internet and the technological tools to get information. This environment eliminates the direct relation between the teacher and the student so it`s going to have negative impact on education. Second, blended learning which is considered the most efficient e-environment by mixing e-learning with traditional education in an integrated manner. The student interacts with the teacher in a pleasant way because the student is not only a listener, but a key part of the lecture. This environment creates creativity and stimulates thinking and responsibility for learners. Receiving information via multimedia helps students to understand subject matter faster than through listening and reading only. Moreover, (Banditvilai, 2016) outlined the concept of blended learning as an important factor in the development of teaching and learning process. It helps students to practice and develop English language skills at any time and any place they choose outside the classroom as long as there`s access to the internet. Some students have positive feedback toward e-learning because it enables them to become motivated and more involved in learning process. It encourages students to become more responsible for their learning and it increases students` motivation to become autonomous learners. For example, e- learning encourages students to use English to improve their language proficiency through the supplementary e-learning program which includes activities and tasks that are skill-building of English language. On the opposite side, there are students who have negative feedback toward e-learning because it reduces the direct interaction between the teacher and the students and the actual (face to face) feedback from the teacher. These students believe that e-learning reduces the valuable interaction between the teacher and the students. After e-learning has become an integral part of teaching learning process, a lot of studies focus on its benefits and difficulties for teachers and students such as (Yang, Catterall, & Davis, 2013) who indicated that some students praise online learning while others vilify it. Some students embraced online learning for its flexibility and usability. In contrast, 18 new students have a lack of knowledge and skills in using technology to improve their learning so they are frustrated with technology. In addition, (Hantouli, 2016) found that e-learning has many advantages. First, it makes communication easy and sustainable between the elements of learning process and it increases the interaction between the learners themselves and between the learners and the teachers. In other words, the teacher can communicate with his or her students at any time and can access Moodle and submit tasks at any time. Second, e-learning is positive because of its ability to keep data and easy to retrieve via Moodle. Diversifying knowledge sources and improving the quality of education are also benefits of e-learning. Third, the ability of e-learning to provide learning opportunities for individuals through asynchronous learning provides an opportunity for students who can`t come to university permanently. On the other hand, the researcher found that the most challenges for e- learning are poor internet access and poor computer skills for some students. Similarly, (Tanveer, 2011) demonstrated the positive effects of e-learning in classroom- based language teaching and the positive perception of students and teachers toward e- learning. The use of e-learning helps students to take responsibility of their learning and make them confident. On the other hand, Tanveer found that some students have problems with e-learning. The lack of basic technical skills of teachers and students beside the lack of e-learning resources lead to lack of enthusiasm toward e-learning. Some students agreed that their ability to express their thoughts interfere with mechanical difficulties. Tanveer, Yang, Cattail and Davis demonstrated that the lack of confidence to use digital tools and untrained teachers affected the effectiveness of e-learning. On the negative side, (Welsh, Brown, Wanberg, & Simmering, 2003) found that the lack of interaction between the trainees or the learners in many learning courses is one of the main disadvantages of e-learning because it makes e-learning less attractive to its learners and potentially less useful. They also found that the lack of skill in using a computer will affect its use as educational method and therefore will influence the ability to learn. It will also affect the effectiveness of technology in improving learning. In other words, using technology and computers is useful in some cases and unhelpful in others because effective e-learning requires significant effort and planning to be useful. 19 Surprisingly, (Kotzer & Elran, 2012)emphasized that the Moodle-based learning environments which have been developed as enhancement to face-to-face teaching give the freedom of teachers to add, change or use them according to teacher`s needs, content based or technology based and students diversity. These learning environments are designed to simplify difficult subjects. In this case, (Soliman, 2014) explained the advantages of e-learning Moodle. E-learning Moodle increases the study time of English during the week so students will develop their language skills during the usage of e- learning resources and tasks. Likewise, E-learning Moodle encourages students to learn independently because each student works on a different task. Furthermore, E-learning Moodle gives each student an opportunity to choose from different activities and resources which means there are different learning styles. Significantly, (Hamayel, 2018) asserted that e-learning leads to a better presentation of learning materials than traditional methods. E-learning environment is provided by computers and laboratories because technology curricula are taught to students from fifth grade. E-learning motivates students to use all senses to get information while in traditional teaching environment sense of sight is only used. Also, students become able to access to course material at any time. In contrast, e-learning outcomes have not reached the required level for three reasons: first, the transition from traditional education to e- learning. Transition means change but human soul in its nature resist change. Second, not all schools are equipped with intranet due to the cost of tools and equipment. Third, e- learning was initially used as a backstop for traditional education which leads to the appearance of blended learning. In terms of time and place limits, e-learning brings students out of the traditional education routine. Students become able to choose the place and access to the course material at any time. Besides, (Liaw, 2006) in his study illustrated the benefits of computer use and technology especially for intercultural learning. This study emphasized that technical problems should be controlled in order to make better matches between computer learning tools and pedagogical objectives. Students will take the benefits of using online learning system if problems such as lack of access to the internet are minimized. Finally, (Tira, 2020) indicated that teaching English electronically during Covid-19 pandemic guides lecturers to teach subjects effectively and efficiently. In addition, e- 20 learning motivates students to ask questions during online lectures more than actual lectures. E-learning is the only helpful system when it is impossible for the face to face lectures to be held, especially in emergencies such as Covid-19 pandemic. 2.1.3 The role of teacher and student in e-learning process Some studies have given great importance to the role of teacher and students in the e-learning process, as well as preparing them to become effective in the process of learning and teaching based on e-learning, regardless of its type (blended learning or distance learning). In other words, the teacher and the student are important elements for educational process success. It is essential to indicate that (Alam Khan, 2011) confirmed the need for training to keep pace with changes in society. This researcher emphasized that the teacher or the instructor is the key element in the success of the education process. The instructor is responsible for developing his knowledge and skills to keep pace with changes in society and the need to use technology. If the teacher is qualified, he or she will be able to make a diagnostic study to analyze the nature and the type of struggles that face students during learning a language. If they do, they will be able to develop strategies appropriate to these problems and difficulties that students face during learning a language. In order to do that, the teacher should encourage students to become autonomous learner so he should keep away from routine activities and tasks aimed at filling time, (Aydogan, 2014). According to constructivist theory for language learning, experience and interaction are the cornerstones for foreign language learners to build their own learning (see Vygostky (1978) cited in (Aydogan, 2014)). When the teacher acts as a facilitator of learning, a counselor and as a resource, it may be the case that helps a student achieve his or her autonomy. Additionally, (Ali, 2014) indicated that the attitudes of teachers and learners toward the use of technology is one of the obstacles to e-learning because the use of network application in education by faculty members is less than expected due to lack of awareness of the importance of this technology or the inability to use technology. For the above reasons, (Yahya M. , 2012) explained that the role of teacher in education is very important because he is one of the pillars of the educational process and he is the 21 source of knowledge for students. The more the teacher possesses good scientific and pedagogical experience and effective teaching methods, the greater his ability to create good students. The researcher also believes that the role of teachers in e-learning will become more important and will not be discarded, as some believe. Furthermore, (Mollaei & Riasati, 2013) agrees with Yahya that the quality of education and its improvement from the teacher`s point of view does not depend entirely on the use of technology and depends more on the quality of teacher and his attitudes towards the use of technology. The teacher has the greatest role in improving the quality of education because he organizes the learning process. The teacher`s readiness and enthusiasm for the implementation of technology will help the student to improve his language skills because in this educational environment the teacher becomes a guide and the student becomes the center of learning and responsible for his learning. There are some teachers who don`t encourage the new role of the teacher in the computer-assisted language learning classroom, and they believe that the teacher should play a prominent role and take responsibility through controlling student`s progress and activities. It is assumed that those teachers might not have sufficient and practical experience in using technology although they accept its benefits. Also, (Al-Fara, 2012) believes that the role of teacher will become more difficult and more important when the e-learning is applied. During e-learning, the teacher should have sufficient skills to manage the educational process and keep up with technology to improve education. In other words, the teacher should become a leader, a research project manager and a mentor during e-learning. The teacher must therefore possess specialization, experience and continuous training. The human obstacles (the teacher and the students) are one of the e-learning obstacles during Covid-19 pandemic, as (Al-Odah, 2021) confirmed. These obstacles ranked fourth among others, as the researcher demonstrated that the teacher is trained to deal efficiently and quickly with the pandemic. The teachers have a previous deal with technology but they resist change. Each new education system may face resistance and some rejections because of fear of change. In addition, teacher`s insufficient proficiency in English affects the success of e-learning process because most software and e-learning systems use English and this affects the sufficient use of software and technology by the teacher. 22 Significantly, (Abdel Aziz, 2015) referred to the pedagogical and technological age of teacher and its impact on changing the teaching style. The study showed that the faculty members of the faculty of graduate studies have almost equal knowledge and technological and pedagogical awareness. They tend to use the learner-centered style of education, but their pedagogical practices with regard to e-learning do not reflect this awareness. There is awareness of the importance of technology but practice is insufficient and ineffective. Some teachers believe that e-learning has limited their role in the teaching and learning process, as (Al-muzyan, 2016)denoted. The large size of the university curriculum which makes the university professor tend to traditional education, the students` preoccupation with sites not related to e-learning and the belief that e-learning eliminates the role of some teacher in the teaching process is the most important obstacles to the application of e-learning in Palestinian universities. On the other hand, (Draissi & Yong, 2020) examined various documents consist of daily newspaper, new articles, reports and notices from the universities` website. The result of the study indicated that the new teaching methods were based on increasing student independence, providing a few access to a few paid e-learning platforms and additional duties assigned to teachers to maintain their work from home. This result means that the role of the teacher and the student has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic and the responsibility has not decreased. In view of the study of (Abu-Quta & Al-Dalu, 2020), students during e-learning can easily access the study material through various programs and tools. The electronic content is also comprehensive as it includes examples, exercises and assignments. Besides, students can easily interact with each other through e-learning by sending and receiving educational materials and discussions without obstacles. In addition, the evaluation process is carried out continuously through e-learning in appropriate and varied methods. At the same time, there are difficulties and obstacles in studying the material electronically. First, the necessity of formulating electronic courses to be comprehensive and simple especially in presenting examples and it should be comprehensive to the amount of information that was included. Second, students are not ready to use this type of education. Third, there is a lack of internet at the homes of teachers and students. 23 Finally, (Alassaf & Al-Sarayra, 2012) indicated that there is an above average degree of awareness among teachers of the concept of e-learning due to the effect of gender in favor of male teachers. The study also showed the presence of a medium degree in the use of computers among teachers as well as the presence of statistically significant differences in favor of females in the teachers` use of e-learning in teaching. The success of the educational institution in the information age depends primarily on its ability to make a qualitative change in the preparation of teachers and rehabilitate them and break the barrier of fear with technology in order to be qualified to deal with generations who are good at dealing with technology. Although English language learners observed that learning language through e-learning is better than traditional classroom, they are not motivated to use technology in learning English. E-learning provides activities in each language skill in a motivational way but they think that it’s best to integrate classroom activities and curriculum with technology, as (Farooq, 2012). 2.1.4 The effectiveness of e-learning in teaching-learning process before Covid-19 pandemic The benefit from electronic education is closely related to the existence of knowledge about computer usage and the existence of curricular activities and extracurricular activities in the field of computers. The students who have computer skills and the ability to communicate via the internet will be able to interact with the multimedia used in online accounting education. In addition, the ability of speaking, reading and writing in English contribute to make students closer to the information provided via the internet due to the fact that English is the most widely spoken language (Siam & Rahhaleh, 2008). The results of the study of (Al-Jarf, 2013) showed that the students of the experimental group who used an electronic course from home in addition to the traditional course got higher scores in the post-test than the students of the control group who received traditional education in the classroom based on the textbook only. This means that the use of the electronic course from home as a support course for the traditional course has contributed to raising the level of students` performance instead of relying on traditional courses only. The results of the study proved that the use of electronic course was a factor in improving the weak of students` ability to write in English and resulted in a significant 24 improvement in their scores in the post test" achievement test". The results also declared that the electronic course had a positive effect on the students` feeling toward studying the English language, as it helped them to develop a positive self-perception and raise their motivation and their sense of improvement. The students of the experimental group found that writing in English is enjoyable. In addition, (Saif, 2019) pointed out that the use of electronic software was effective in developing English language skills for basic stage students due to the positive impact of electronic software in developing English language skills in terms of employing modern and diverse learning techniques and resources. These techniques stimulated students to communicate with each other and increase their motivation towards learning. These techniques also encouraged them to interact and participate during its employment which contributed to the development of English language skills. The electronic software contributed to the development of writing skill through the gradual method of teaching writing. This software provided students with an opportunity to collect the largest possible number of vocabulary elements that is necessary to write a paragraph and it provided students with the different ways and instructions that are necessary to practice writing paragraphs. In addition, the use of electronic software was effective in developing speaking skill because electronic software included methods, interactive situations and activities that stimulated students to engage in an interactive dialogue. This software gave the opportunity for students to practice this skill willingly and without supervision. It also gave the students the opportunity to practice proper pronunciation and try many times to speak and acquire the speaking skill without the help of teacher. Moreover, the results showed that the use of electronic software was effective in developing listening skill because it included various activities and focused on developing the listening skill by employing multiple sources of sound, movement, images and writing, taking into account the auditory learning style of the students that motivated them. The stored audio and video clips consolidate students` memorization and understanding of words. Also, the use of electronic software developed reading skills by training students on how to practice reading and provide reinforcement in different ways. The software as a learning resource has provided students with a tool that they can use at any time, unlike what happens in teaching according to the usual methods that depend on memorization and lack of communication between the teacher and the students. 25 Besides, (Aljaser, 2019) aimed to identify the effectiveness of e-learning environment in developing the academic achievement toward learning English for fifth grade students where the e-learning environment was designed and a test and a scale were prepared to assess the trend toward learning English language. The quasi-experimental approach was applied to a sample of fifth grade students divided into a control group taught through the traditional method and the experimental group through the e-learning environment. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group in the post-achievement test and the measure of attitude toward English language. It is important to mention that (Bashir, 2019) examined the effectiveness of e-learning in regard to learner satisfaction and continuous learning intentions. The results revealed that e-learning interaction consists of three factors: the learner interface, the feedback interaction and the learning content. With the exception of learner-content, the other e- learning factors (learner interface and leaner feedback) had a great influence on leaner satisfaction and leaner satisfaction was found to have a great influence on continuous learning intention with e-learning. Moreover, (Mohammadi, Ghorbani, & Hamidi, 2011) aimed to investigate the effects of e-learning on language learning. The study emphasized that English learning is improved because English is the basic language of the internet and it is not limited to one culture. The study also declared that e-learning increases the attendance, the engagement and the motivation of students which are essential for learning. Also, the use of the internet independently through chat rooms and mass media increases the oral proficiencies of learners. At the same time, e-learning is challenging and time consuming although this type of learning provides teachers and learners with creative and practical ideas. 2.1.5 The effectiveness of e-learning in teaching-learning process in the light of Covid-19 pandemic The study of (Hodges, Moore, Trust, & Bond, 2020) aimed to investigate the difference between distance teaching in emergency situations and online learning. The researchers designed a model consisting of evaluation conditions and a set of questions. The model is designed to evaluate distance teaching in emergency situations and measure the success 26 of online learning experience in terms of quality of planning and courses offered via the internet in response to a crisis in favor of online learning in normal situations. The transition to e-learning during the Corona pandemic has become a necessity so (Basilia & Kravadze, 2020) aimed to study the experience of moving from traditional teaching to e-learning during the spread of Corona pandemic in Georgia. The study was based on the statistics of the first week of teaching process in a private school and its experience of moving from traditional teaching to e-learning. The transition to online education was successful and the skills acquired by teachers, students and school management can be used in the post-corona period in different cases such as disabled learners. It can also be used to increase the effectiveness of the teaching process and the independence of learners to obtain additional skills. The finding of (Rahman, 2020) revealed promising results for teaching English online during a global pandemic like Covid-19. If the proper training and orientation programs for learners and teachers are implemented and online language learning platforms and tools are up to date, teaching English as a foreign language online can be very useful. Moreover, the effectiveness of e-learning in the light of the spread of Corona virus as perceived by teachers is medium in the fields of e-learning continuity, the use of e- learning and the interaction of faculty members with e-learning. This result is attributed to the fact that Palestine Technical University is one of the universities that adopt face to face learning and didn`t have previous plans to adopt e-learning. This university switched to e-learning suddenly because it had neither previous experience nor sufficient skills to use e-learning easily. In addition, (Al-Radhawin, 2021) believes that e-learning has become an urgent need due to Corona pandemic. E-learning can increase self-learning and student's motivation to learn and it can also save time and effort. E-learning makes the teaching-learning process more attractive by providing courses electronically. These courses can be accessed at any time so students can communicate with their teacher outside working hours as well as they can exchange experiences and ideas with other students. At the same time, the rejection of change and disapproval of e-learning, the poor skills of teacher to deal with e-learning, the lack of training courses to improve teachers` competence in how to use e- learning tools, the student`s inability to afford e-learning requirements, and the weak 27 infrastructure for e-learning implementation are the main constraints on e-learning implementation. According to (Al-Mutairi, 2021), the effectiveness of e-learning during corona pandemic was moderate. This result was reached through a questionnaire that included 3 areas: teachers` interaction with e-learning, students` interaction with e-learning and the continuity of e-learning in the light of corona pandemic. The continuity of e-learning during the pandemic and students` interaction with e-learning remained the last. This result is attributed to the fact that e-learning was not in the plans of educational institutions before the corona pandemic, as it suddenly shifted toward e-learning, which reduces its experience in the field of e-learning and makes this type of education need to improve its level. The electronic method may affect the interaction of students and teachers which may cause some difficulties. E-learning is considered an educational novelty imposed by the corona crisis and every educational novelty faces many obstacles then experience comes to remove all obstacles. However, (Vijayan, 2021) concluded that teaching and learning activities must be changed significantly to accommodate the unprecedented situation and the dramatic change in circumstances. The rapid change due to Covid-19 has necessitated the adoption of appropriate pedagogical strategies, although these strategies existed before the outbreak of the pandemic. The spread of the virus also led to the need for massive access to the internet, even in the developed economies, and the need to adopt different teaching methods, unlike the past. Teachers and schools in the past were not exposed to many teaching methods and many of them had to pass a very steep learning curve to be able to provide basic lessons. Furthermore, (Al-Ahmari, 2021) relied on a questionnaire to find out the reality of using virtual classes in the light of the Corona crisis. The research sample revealed the positive opinion toward virtual classrooms as one of the best educational solutions used in the light of the corona crisis from the students` point of view. E-learning (virtual classroom) also allows learning to continue in the light of crisis in order to protect learners from the pandemic. The rate of difficulties associated with the use of virtual classes was low, and the researcher attributed this result to the fact that virtual classes are a requirement of the digital age. These classes are the best solution to confront pandemics. It also helps 28 learners and teachers to communicate in a variety of forms (sound, image and text) and it maintains the learner`s privacy. Moreover, (Chia & Chiatoh, 2020) emphasized that information and communication technology has been integrated into English language teaching and learning and this was not the case in low resourced areas, but steps were taken prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in those areas in the form of providing equipment and subsidizing internet costs. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided an avenue for English language teachers and learners in higher education to integrate various online-based tools to maintain teaching and learning process. There is limited success in implementing e-learning during the closure period, which is evidence of the severity of the challenges faced by English language teachers. Although teachers in this study claim to have integrated various online-based tools for online English language teaching during the closure period, none of them described teaching during this period as excellent. Poor implementation of online teaching has been associated with lack of technology, poor training, and high cost of internet and digital devices, poor internet connectivity and poor attendance of learners. Finally, (Purwantoro, Asari, & Marouf, 2021) found that 85% of students have positive aversion toward e-learning as an English learning tool but 94% prefer choosing the traditional classes more than online classes. At the same time, 77% of students agree that English learning by using e-learning could be more successful during the pandemic. E- learning tool motivates students and teachers to learn and teach English and join English classes because this learning tool is easy to utilize. 2.2 Related studies This part presents some findings from a number of studies that were conducted to illustrate the effects of e-learning in the teaching-learning process in the light of covid-19 as perceived by teachers and students. It also investigates the main difficulties that face the application of e-learning especially during teaching and learning English language skills and the difficulties in learning English language skills that face students in traditional and virtual classrooms. 29 2.2.1 Studies related to the difficulties that face students in learning the Basic English language skills In the first place, (Berman & Cheng, 2001) revealed that the difficulties that face students in learning English language skills are of different levels because learner`s perceptions of these difficulties are different. They realized that non-native learners have more difficulties in learning various language skills than the native learners in their academic study. They also found that productive skills(speaking or writing) are more difficult than receptive skills( listening or reading) .Some speaking tasks are more difficult than others such as answering and asking questions in class , taking part in class discussion and carrying out oral presentation . In addition, writing essay and writing assignments are the most difficult writing skills while understanding a writer`s attitude and understanding research reports are considered the most difficult reading tasks. Also, (Yunus, Sulaiman, Kamarulzaman, & Ishak, 2013) confirmed that learners face many difficulties in learning Basic English language skills. They clarified the reasons behind the difficulties that face students in learning speaking and listening skills. Speaking skills difficulties related to students` unfamiliarity with some of English vocabulary but some students have a fear of using language in speaking or improving that skill with his family or friends because of the fear of bad reaction if they use it incorrectly. In other words, speaking is the hardest skill to practice because of the seldom use of English outside the classroom with other students and families. Other students have a problem in learning speaking skills because they have grammatical problems that lead to erosion of confidence in the use of language. On the other hand, listening skills difficulties are the result of fast rate speech and pronunciation. In addition, the researcher found that the most practiced skill is the skill of writing and not speaking skill. In addition, (Al-Jamal & Al-Jamal, 2014) found that the class size and the lack of motivation to use speaking skill increased the difficulties in learning this skill. The writer also found that the level of students in speech skill was weak and they think the content of the book does not fit the needs of the students to practice this skill and there are no courses to teach it perfectly. The results of (Al-enzi, 2013) showed that the difficulties in listening comprehension related to the following: the techniques of teaching listening skills, the strategies of 30 learning, the topic of lecture, the environment surrounded the learner (listener), English sound system, English words meaning and the listening tasks and activities. Significantly, (Asassfeh, Al-Shaboul, Zuraiq, & Al-Shaboul , 2011) clarified that speaking skills according to students` perspectives is the most difficult skill followed by writing, reading and finally listening. At the same time, students struggle with speaking and writing skills more than other skills because these skills push students toward production and language in general is used slightly in authentic situations. In each skill students face many problems. In speaking skill, students have several difficulties such as pronouncing word correctly, speaking English with an accent and using intonation in pronouncing sentences and speaking grammatically correct language. In reading also students have problems because students will not understand a text if the information is not explicitly stated in a text. With relevance to writing, writing grammatically correct sentences, finding the appropriate words that fits the context and writing the first sentence in a text are main problems. In the same fashion, (Al-marini, 2021) explained the difficulties that face students in learning reading skills related to the following reas