Student Perceptions of Virtual L2 Learning: Anxiety and Motivation in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

The impacts of virtual education on student levels of motivation and anxiety are explored by the present study, using the qualitative method. Ten students from one Saudi Arabian university were recruited to participate in this study. Thematic Analysis, developed by Braun and Clarke (2006), was used to analyse the data deductively in order to identify those factors influencing students’ anxiety and motivation levels in the virtual environment. The results indicate that the online environment is associated with a higher level of anxiety and a lower level of motivation. The investigation highlighted a number of relevant aspects, including instructors’ teaching styles, lacking student interaction, and online content.