Benefits of Teaching English to Children in Virtual Classes: Teachers’ Perspectives from Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam

Abstract

Over the past decade, technological advancements have greatly impacted the education industry, leading to the rise of online teaching and learning as a promising trend worldwide. However, in Viet Nam, research on virtual classrooms for young learners has been relatively limited. As a result, a recent study sought to examine English teachers’ perspectives on the benefits of teaching English to children virtually. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach to collect data through an online questionnaire distributed to 52 English teachers in Khanh Hoa Province, Central Viet Nam, who had at least one-year experience in teaching English to children online and in-depth interviews with 15 of them. The findings revealed that virtual classrooms offer numerous benefits for teachers, such as integrating all four language skills, enhancing teaching and learning performance, improving their digital skills, keeping up with educational technology trends, accessing a wealth of resources on educational websites, and fostering creativity in developing activities that enhance children’s engagement and motivation in English lessons. Overall, this study highlights the valuable benefits of teaching the English language to children in virtual settings. The findings hold relevance for other stakeholders involved in the development of virtual language education in Viet Nam and similar contexts.