English Teachers Challenges in Teaching Online at Sao Bac Dau Center

The purpose of this study aims to investigate the various challenges that English teachers face when teaching online English via video-conferencing and how they deal with those challenges. This study has two goals: 1) to learn about the challenges that English teachers face when teaching online using video-conferencing software, and 2) to learn about how English teachers deal with these challenges when teaching online using video-conferencing software. The researcher used to interview and questionnaire techniques to collect data. Three English teachers were interviewed online with the same questions, and the questionnaire was given through a Google form. Results show that English teachers faced five challenges: internet connectivity, media, a lack of interaction between students and teachers, low skill, and technical concerns. The study suggests that: role plays are widely used in instructional activities to improve teacher-student engagement, and quiet teaching and learning environments are widely used in instructional activities to increase teacher-student engagement.


Introduction
The coronavirus outbreak swept the globe, drastically altering human activities. The pandemic negatively impacted the healthcare field and many other sectors, including social, economic, science, and even education (Nguyen, Q.T., 2021). Because of the sudden spread of the pandemic, face-to-face learning was shifted to online learning. As a result of the new learning system, challenges in implementing online learning arose and brought various problems (Nguyen, S. H., 2020).
However, the study found that English teachers face a number of challenges when implementing online learning (Dau, T. T. L. (2021). Furthermore, some online applications, such as Zoom, Google Classroom, and Microsoft Teams, can be used during the implementation of online learning.
As a result, with the new challenges in online learning, schools and educators must consider carefully what solutions they can offer to the problems they encounter during the process of online teaching and learning, particularly when using video conferencing.
The researcher conducts this research to identify and learn about the challenges that Sao Bac Dau Center English teachers face when teaching online English via video-conferencing at Sao Bac Dau Center, as well as how they deal with and overcome those challenges. The researcher discovered that some English teachers were still having trouble overcoming obstacles and creating an interactive way to teach students in online English classes using video conferencing.

Online courses
During the COVID-19 epidemic, one of the best solutions for ensuring that education does not suffer is to convert face-to-face courses into online ones. Because assessments and instructions take place in digital classrooms with internet connections, Picciano and Seaman (2009) determined that online learning is a sort of distant education. Additionally, according to Gonzalez and Louis (2018), online learning is accomplished from a distance using electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, laptops, and other similar devices. Benson (2002) and Conrad (2002) defined online learning as using modern technology to gain access to academic activities. Furthermore, according to them, online learning can be seen as a more current version of distance learning that gives students better access to educational opportunities. Around the world, online courses have played a critical role in education (Singh & Thurman, 2019).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tabiri et al. (2022) concluded that learning and teaching online was the greatest alternative. Because of its flexibility, ease, and personalized learning chances.

Challenges of online courses
Despite the benefits of online courses, they may have drawbacks for students. Many authors have argued that learning style, students' learning process, self-regulated learning, and selfefficacy all have an impact on learners' online learning experiences (Selim, 2007;Baylor & Ritchie, 2002;Volery & Lord, 2000). Sarvestani et al. (2019) argued that inadequate internet connectivity and a lack of physical space are two technical challenges. Ineffective educational materials are linked to managerial issues. Communication issues include a lack of interaction and a loss of connection with teachers and students. Appiah et al. (2020) discovered that accessibility concerns are the most pressing problem, followed by social, academic, and generic challenges. Students, in particular, were unprepared for an all-online experience and found it difficult to acquire course materials.

• Physical and mental challenges
According to Istifci (2016), students regarded online classes to be dull because they could quickly get the answers to the tasks. Students become dizzy when remote studying because they spend too much time staring at screens on their phones or laptops. One of the most significant barriers to online learning, according to Octaberlina and Muslimin (2020), appears to be the physical barrier. Instead of reading a printed page, students spend a lot of time working on Volume 1, 2022 31 computers. For them, this is an outwardly visual activity. Smaller text and pixelated graphics are typical on digitally presented pages, requiring them to strain their eyes to read. To overcome physical barriers, the study recommended that teachers give their students a break while enrolled in an E-Learning activity.
One of the essential factors affecting L2 learners' success and effectiveness in the language learning process is motivation. Meşe and Sevilen (2021) looked at students' motivational viewpoints in connection to online education. Dissatisfaction with course content and resources, a lack of self-discipline to participate in the course, a lack of communication between teachers and students, and a lack of private space to monitor the course are all factors that make students feel unmotivated when learning online. Yuzulia (2021) revealed students' difficulties and issues when implementing online learning. Due to some obstacles in integrating e-learning, students prefer traditional learning over online learning. The students criticized the teachers' tactics. They are required to attend Zoom sessions on a daily basis, which makes them uninterested. Additionally, students suffer from health problems such as eye strain and headaches. Teachers should use engaging online teaching approaches and techniques to increase student motivation and performance during this pandemic.
• Language learning challenges Some learners found it awkward to improve their command of English through online education, according to Sai et al. (2013) and Altunay (2019). Similarly, Ja'ashan (2020) found that when blended learning was implemented, students' language skills, such as speaking skills, did not improve. Furthermore, Phan et al. (2022) found that students studying online might not get enough practice speaking English due to limited interactions among students (p. 252). Mahyoob (2020) asserted that learners in virtual English skills classes could not properly communicate with teachers in terms of language communication. Khabbaz and Najjar (2015), on the other hand, found that integrating foreign language instruction with current technologies might lead to a slew of issues that stymie students' ability to learn independently. Furthermore, Sai et al. (2013) looked into students' difficulties when taking online classes. With 512 participants, the study was conducted at the University Sains Malaysia's School of Distance Education. Language skills were a difficulty for the participants when attending online courses. The findings revealed that most students struggled with speaking, vocabulary, and grammar when studying English through online education. The study concluded that instructors should pay close attention to their students while teaching and learning online. The effects of mobile learning on increasing learners' listening abilities were revealed by Al-Shamsi et al. (2020). The majority of participants had issues with the appropriateness of listening material, the nature of mobile apps, cell phone screen sizes, and weak connectivity. Students had trouble listening to audio materials and responding to questions at the same time. Thus they frequently forgot what they had heard and were unable to comprehend the content of the recordings.

• Technical challenges
Learning to study online effectively necessitates a solid technical foundation as well as a reliable connection. On the other hand, due to technical issues, low digital abilities, and other factors, most students will not be able to have great online learning experiences. According to Kuama and Intharaksa (2016), learners encounter technological and individual challenges. For people who have been taking online courses for a long time, unpredictable internet connections may be a major source of frustration since they are unable to comprehend their understanding of the lessons or follow what the lecturers are saying (Ariyanti, 2020;Muslimin & Harintama, 2020;Hijazi & AlNatour, 2021;Nguyen & Duong, 2021;Yuzulia, 2021). Furthermore, Altunay (2019) stated that EFL students met a lack of high-tech resources as well as technical issues while being satisfied with online education due to its flexibility. Because most students lack technology skills, Nugroho (2020) found that converting the entire learning process to online classrooms is not successful. The findings of other studies revealed that students had difficulty with technology (Islam et al., 2015;Atmojo & Nugroho, 2020;Jhon et al., 2020;Alodwan, 2021). Some poor children in rural areas are less likely to use the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic (Ariyanti, 2020; Adnan & Anwar, 2020).
Tanveer conducted a study at Majan College in 2011 to examine students' and instructors' perspectives on the use of e-learning pedagogical tools in language classrooms, as well as the challenges they face and some solutions to improve the practical use of e-learning tools in classroom-based language education. Technological illiteracy, certain students' extremely limited educational backgrounds, a lack of time and Internet materials, a lack of trust in using digital technology, and an unskilled instructor are all common roadblocks. Support for lecturers and students in terms of training, equipment, and time management is required.
At the University of Taibah in Saudi Arabia, Mahyoob (2020) did a study on the problems of elearning, learners' interaction with information technology tools in e-learning, and learners' satisfaction with online learning. According to the findings, students had trouble using the Blackboard platform. While using Blackboard, almost 30% of students skipped courses and other assignments. Due to technical challenges, some students have trouble connecting to the Internet, attending classes, or obtaining course materials. Less than half of EFL students are satisfied with online learning, with 14% dissatisfied and 43% opposing long-term online education.
A similar investigation was conducted by Gulnaz et al. (2020). (2020). Using the Cambridge Learning Management System, they evaluated the effects of blended learning on the educational process as experienced by instructors and students. A total of 200 EFL students and eight teachers took part in the survey. The EFL students completed a questionnaire, and eight teachers participated in a structured interview. They saw that the kids were having technological difficulties. To address the concerns, the institution needed to hire competent professors who could devote as much time as possible to answering students' questions and resolving technical issues. The time allotted for tests and assignments was insufficient, according to Ja'ashan (2020), and the digital platform caused issues accessing course content. Some pupils had trouble connecting to the Internet at home and were disappointed with the program. Most students who lacked fundamental computer literacy abilities were unable to use E-learning effectively, so they should be provided with E-learning skills through training classes.
In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, Allo's study piece (2020) investigated learners' attitudes about online learning. This research focuses on students enrolled in UKI Toraja's 33 English language program. The learners were questioned over the phone through WhatsApp by the researcher. According to the research, learners' impressions of online learning are positive and beneficial. Students hoped teachers would include popular tools like free Messenger apps in the online learning system. They reasoned that lecturers should develop learning groups on Messenger for their peers who do not have access to the Internet. Individual activities also helped them maintain the necessary physical distance owing to the disease, while group duties were required to aid friends who did not yet have access to the Internet. They also desired that explanations be provided before distributing materials and assignments. As a result, they recommended that Voice Note may be used to give instructions effectively. However, it was noted that the online study material and guidelines provided by professors were difficult to navigate. The study also suggested that teachers keep an eye on their students' financial situations, availability of Internet access, and online learning application selections that are effective and efficient in adopting online learning systems.
Octaberlina and Muslimin (2020) focused on online courses and the challenges that students face, as well as their solutions for overcoming them. They stated that students faced a variety of difficulties when studying online, including a lack of familiarity with e-learning and a poor internet connection. As a result, there is a disconnect between favorable outcomes and students' significant challenges when engaging in online learning. The key factors act as roadblocks to e-learning. The most crucial component was the notion of E-Learning as a learning technique. Compared to more conventional modes of learning and development, this element encompasses general concerns about the validity and viability of E-Learning and the loss of the "human touch." The second factor has to do with the usage of technology and the Internet. This factor considers both the students' technological abilities and the speed with which they can access the Internet. In such an E-Learning platform, combining all of these distinct traits may make it difficult to concentrate on learning. In order to offset the loss of human touch in E-Learning, the teacher must consider both the general academic objectives and the students' learning styles. In addition, educators should convert video information to audio and use texts to solve the lack of networks and internet connections.

Research Questions
According to the particular circumstance above, the study's goal is to reveal some facts that can help answer the following questions: 1. What are the challenges of online courses that Sao Bac Dau Center English teachers have to overcome? 2. What are the solutions to help Sao Bac Dau Center English teachers overcome these challenges?

Pedagogical Setting & Participants
In early 2020, the COVID-19 virus spread to Vietnam, requiring Sao Bac Dau Center to move from traditional to e-learning courses. Sao Bac Dau Center offered enough training and advice to help professors and students acclimatize to new online teaching and learning strategies throughout the learning and teaching process. Nonetheless, a number of challenges were found while using online courses to instruct students at Sao Bac Dau Center, which negatively impacted their performance.
Ten EFL teachers from Sao Bac Dau Center took part in the study. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the study was conducted during the first semester of the school year 2021-2022, when the participants were taking online courses. Based on the thoughts and experiences of the instructors, it was hoped that the study would comprehend the co-existing obstacles of online education.

Design of the Study
The current research looked at the challenges that English teachers at Sao Bac Dau Center faced during the entire online teaching process. The study employed qualitative methods to acquire data related to the research topic. Data for the process was collected via questionnaires. The information provided by participants was exclusively utilized to aid the research. Participants in the research were eager to offer their perspectives. The purpose of the paper was to learn more about EFL teachers' worries about online courses by interviewing them about their experiences.
The researchers invited ten EFL teachers to answer ten questions on their ideas and perceptions about the online courses they have taught. Online interviews by answering questions concerning online teaching experience were conducted instead of in-person interviews because of the epidemic. The researchers used a Google form to encourage participants to submit feedback on their online courses.

Data collection & analysis
The interview questions focused on the participants' worries and opinions about online courses, particularly the problems of teaching English skills amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These people were encouraged to express their feelings in their own words, with detailed explanations and supporting ideas.

Results/Findings and discussion
In this section, the results and findings are portrayed concerning challenged in teaching English online. Table 1.

Teachers
Interview question number 1: What do you know about online education?
Teacher No.1 "Online education is the process of teaching and learning that use internet media".
Teacher No.2 "Online education is teaching students virtually by using media, such as, Webinar, Google Meet, Edu-learning, Google classroom and etc".

Teacher No.3 "Online education is teaching and learning that is done using another media based on internet, and not based on face to face".
Teacher No.4 "Online education is the process in which teachers use technology to transfer the knowledge to students in teaching process". Teacher No.5 "Online education is a type of distance education" Teacher No. 6 "Online education may be thought of as a more up-to-date version of remote learning that provides students with additional educational options".
Teacher No.7 "Online education is described as the use of current technology to get access to academic activities".

Teacher No. 8 "Online education is a versatile instructional delivery strategy that includes any type of learning that occurs through the Internet".
Teacher No. 9 "Online education is a form of education where students use their home computers through the internet".
Teacher No.10 "Online education is electronically supported learning that relies on the Internet for teacher/student interaction and the distribution of class materials". Table 1 agreed that online education is the teaching and learning activity carried out by instructors utilizing internet media and online applications and that it may be carried out at any time and from any location. It may be stated that the majority of Sao Bac Dau Center teachers are familiar with online education.  Table 2 depicts the perspectives of Sao Bac Dau Center English teachers on the differences between online and offline teaching. Based on the answers above, it can be concluded that the differences between online and face-to-face teaching are primarily due to the differences in interaction between teachers and students. In online classes, the interaction is done through internet media; virtually learning, students and teachers do not meet directly, and it can be done anytime, anywhere, whereas in face-to-face teaching, the students and teachers are in the same place in real-time; they meet and talk directly.  Table 3 shows the outcomes of 10 Sao Bac Dau Center teachers' challenges in online courses.

Challenges of online education
The obstacles that participants have in online education are mainly connected to the internet connection and the media itself, such as a gadget, based on the answers above. Challenges in online teaching and learning: Internet connections are frequently inadequate, causing the teaching and learning process to be hampered; parents frequently utilize students' gadgets; students do not have their own smartphones. Another issue is the lack of interaction and feedback between teachers and students during the teaching and learning process, which makes students feel bored and lazy because they don't get to see their friends and teachers, as well as students' and teachers' limited ability to use digital technology for online teaching and learning.  Table 4 illustrates all participants' perspectives on solutions to challenges in online classes. It can be concluded that each participant had a different opinion and perception of the challenge. In short, a challenge is something that makes us feel more difficult and challenged to do something, progress, and achieve goals. To begin, they will have well-prepared lesson plans prior to the lessons. This gives them more confidence when it comes to giving online classes. Second, they can get around technological restrictions by asking colleagues or learning from the Internet. This will help them increase their technical abilities over time. In addition, role plays are widely employed in instructional activities to increase teacher-student engagement.

Solutions
Last but not least, noise pollution should be avoided during lectures. Teachers and students should establish learning and teaching locations away from congested areas, such as roadways and workplaces.

Discussion
Teachers play a crucial part in the teaching and learning process because they must be able to organize and guide the learning process. Teachers, no doubt, face unique challenges as a result of the pandemic. During online learning, teachers must play a dual function as a coach and a guide. The following are the issues that instructors encounter, based on the results of interviews: • Access to the Internet.
The internet connection is one of the most common challenges that arise during online teaching and learning because the requirement to do online learning necessitates a good and stable internet connection. A poor internet connection can stymie the process of online teaching and learning, causing delays in sound and video streaming, as well as disruptions in the material delivery process, all of which can slow down the online learning process. This is in line with Simin Ghavifekr et al. (2016), which reported that internet connection is one of the problems of online teaching and learning.

• Media
Because the media, such as a gadget or smartphone, is used as a tool for doing online learning, if the media is not compatible, poor quality of hardware (gadget), it can significantly slow down the process of online teaching and learning. For example, if the gadget has a low memory capacity or RAM, it may not or cannot work properly when used to download or run certain online applications. It's based on a statement by  about the media being a barrier to online learning implementation.

• Limitation of teacher and student interaction
Lack of interaction is also a challenge for online teaching and learning because online learning is done virtually, students do not meet their friends in person, and there is no direct communication between students and their classmates or between teachers and students. This can have a negative impact on students, such as students becoming bored, unwilling to participate in online learning, and lazy, and teachers' communication with students is limited. Simin Ghavifekr et al. (2016) and  stated that one obstacle to online learning is a lack of interaction.

• Limitation of teachers' and students' ability
Teachers and students both had limited ability, which meant that when undertaking online learning and teaching, both must know how to use the online application. It also had to do with the teachers' abilities and expertise in online teaching, particularly in using online applications.
Simin Ghavifekr et al. (2016) stated that one of the obstacles to online teaching and learning is the restricted ability of teachers and students.
It's also a challenge in online teaching and learning because, because online learning uses applications, the applications sometimes have issues, such as the server being down or failing to load and connect to the Internet. It's also a challenge to conduct online courses because, because the app is relatively new, and many schools or institutions have begun to use it, the server is down, unable to load and connect to the application itself. As stated by Simin Ghavifekr et al. (2016), the problems in online teaching and learning, primarily technical issues, must be addressed.

Conclusion
After describing and analyzing the data and discussing the findings, the researcher came to the following conclusions: the first challenges stemmed primarily from internet connectivity, the second from media or the smartphone itself, the third from a lack of interaction between students and teachers, the fourth from the limited ability of teachers and students, and the last from a technical issue.
Doing online teaching is not easy; the abrupt shift in teaching methods from offline to online created a lot of uncertainty and obstacles for both teachers and students, so government and student family assistance will significantly impact the online teaching and learning process.
Because teachers cannot oversee their students directly from school, parents must supervise and watch over their children while they study at home.