TEACHING SPEAKING DURING THE COVID-19 IN AN INDONESIAN RURAL SCHOOL: A TEACHER’S EXPERIENCES

Abstract

The pandemic has significantly impacted many aspects of life, including in the education sector, where schools were forced to shift to online learning mode. Such a shift created new challenges for teachers, as many were not prepared for the change. Further, many rural schools in the country faced the challenge of providing adequate infrastructure and facilities for online learning. This qualitative case study inquired into ways in which an Indonesian rural teacher taught speaking to her students and deal with the challenges of online learning. It specifically examined the strategies used in teaching speaking skills. Data were gained mainly from in-depth interviews. The interviews revealed that the teacher used Google Meet and WhatsApp as the main online learning platforms, and she drew on a number of strategies to teach speaking, such as doing role play, drilling, and engaging students to ensure that they could understand materials better. The study sheds light on the challenges rural teachers faced during the pandemic and how they can be better attended to in providing meaningful learning.

Keywords: covid-19, rural school, teaching speaking