EFL Students’ Soft Skills and Hard Skills Practices in Online Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims to seek the students' soft and hard skills practices through online learning activities. It also compares the practices among students residing in the city and rural areas. The online learning methods included group discussions, wall post discussions, video presentations, sharing resources, individual assignments, watching and commenting videos. In this study, a self-evaluation questionnaire on soft skills was distributed to 29 students in class language assessment. The findings revealed that students practiced overall soft skills and hard skills at a high level. Soft skills related to communication, numeracy, and teamwork were practiced at a medium level while students practicing IT, learning skills, and problem-solving were at a high level. None of the skills were practiced at a very high level. Meanwhile, students in the city practiced soft and hard skills significantly higher than those in rural areas. This study implied that full online learning could not give a vast opportunity for students to enhance their 21 century skills, particularly for rural area students.