Challenges of Face-to-Face EFL Learning within a Digital Media Environment
Claudia Estela Buenfil Rodríguez, Cecilio Luis de Jesús López Martínez, Luz del Rocío Franco López

Abstract
Due to the contingency crisis in 2020, members of educational institutions with a long and effective tradition in face-to face instruction have had to deal with a quick swing to a digital media environment. Therefore, the best way to know the effectiveness of “emergency remote teaching” seems to be relevant and necessary precisely by interviewing two groups of EFL learners who unexpectedly moved into a type of teaching that combines face-to face-interaction with digital media resources. The intention of this Case Study within the Qualitative Paradigm was to identify students’ perceptions on the challenges they experienced when moving from a traditional classroom into a digital environment and the impact of this in their cognitive development. The results showed that despite the belief that students are highly qualified users of technological devices, they struggle to respond to face-to-face dynamics adapted to an online synchronic mode.

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