Emergency remote teaching in the early times of COVID-19: an experience in Portuguese as a Foreign Language in China

Abstract

The teaching of Portuguese as a Foreign Language in China was among the pioneering experiences of emergency remote teaching when distance learning has become global and essential. The contingencies of the epidemic in China made it a forerunner in this experience since the implementation of online classes in Chinese higher education started before Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. This study aims to analyse the consequences of emergency remote teaching and its impact on students learning and teacher’s performance during that sensitive period. The methodology is based on questionnaires and interviews with college students of Portuguese who took online classes and who expressed their perspectives on the setbacks and the advantages of this experience. The introduction of this emergency remote teaching did not result from planning, structure, or prior intention, but was the result of exceptional contingencies. Therefore, the conclusions of this study focus on the positive arrangements that can be drawn from this experience. In the future, those procedures may be implemented with proper organization and consultation to enrich the teaching and learning of Portuguese as a Foreign Language in China.