Online Communicative Language Teaching: A Case Study of Zoom-Based ESL Instruction in Myanmar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60072/ijeissah.2026.v4i02.006Abstract
This qualitative case study examines the enactment of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in an online English as a Second Language (ESL) lesson for adolescent learners in Myanmar. Primary data were collected in 2024 through the non-participant observation of a one-hour Zoom-based session within a volunteer-led English program operating amid ongoing political and educational disruption. The population comprised Myanmar adolescents engaged in remote English learning; using purposive sampling, one session involving two learners was selected for detailed analysis. Data collection relied on structured observational field notes documenting interactional patterns, teacher’s scaffolding strategies, affective behaviors, and technological interruptions. Secondary data were derived from scholarly literature on CLT, Second Language Acquisition (SLA), online pedagogy, and education in fragile contexts. Primary data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns of communicative engagement, negotiation of meaning, and contextual constraints. Findings indicate that open-ended questioning, scaffolded interaction, and meaning-focused tasks facilitated learner participation despite unstable connectivity and anxiety-related camera-off behavior. The study underscores the necessity of adaptive pedagogical strategies and low-bandwidth multimodal resources to sustain communicative competence development in crisis-affected online environments.
Keywords:
Communicative Language Teaching, Digital Pedagogy, Fragile Contexts, Learner Engagement, Myanmar, Online ESLReferences
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