Bichronous Learning in Practice: How Immigrant Students Learn Swedish Online

As online education becomes increasingly common in language learning, there is a pressing need to understand how students experience bichronous (synchronous and asynchronous) teaching formats in second language learning contexts. Drawing on qualitative group interviews with participants enrolled in an SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) program, the study identifies key benefits and challenges associated with this blended format. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, revealing insights into the advantages and limitations of online sessions for language skills development. The findings indicate that bichronous online teaching supports language skills development, feedback practices, structured participation, flexibility, and autonomy. However, the students reported challenges to self-paced learning, peer interaction, and digital competence. Teacher presence, feedback, and session design emerges as crucial for students’ engagement and participation. These insights suggested an enhanced approach to online teaching, combining synchronous and asynchronous methods for second language learning. Recommendations for optimising online second language teaching were discussed, emphasising the importance of adaptive pedagogical strategies, technological support, and individualised approaches to meet diverse learner needs.