Teacher Learner Rapport In Online Education: Case Study Efl Teachers And Learners Of Saida University

Abstract

Learning a foreign language successfully requires a special and warm relationship between teachers and learners. This teacher-learner relationship is academically known as ‘rapport’. The current paper provides insights into the importance of rapport in online education as well as the challenges facing rapport building in an online environment. The study relied on a questionnaire addressed to EFL students and an interview conducted with EFL teachers of Saida University. Findings revealed that rapport is necessary in EFL environment especially if it is an online one. However, this rapport is failed in the English language department of Dr. Moulay Tahar university because of the absence of face to-face communication. The study also indicated that most challenges facing building rapport are related to the asynchronous nature of online education, social absence of both teachers and learners, and electronic problems coined to the software use, in addition to connectivity problems.