Boosting Interaction Skills: How Social Presence Transforms Synchronous Online Language Learning for Adults

Covid-19 forced non-formal adult education centres in Finland to seek ways to offer their students language courses during the pandemic restrictions. Synchronous online courses were a convenient natural solution during the lockdown and became a normal method to implement courses in the post-pandemic era. This article provides insights into how adult learners perceived social presence, instructor presence, and spoken language skill development in online English courses. The participants in this study were 35 adults between 20 and 80 years old who were learning English in an adult education centre in Finland and their language skill level was A2-B1 according to common European framework of reference for languages (CEFR). The data were collected via an online questionnaire, including Likert-scale multiple-choice statements and open-ended questions, which were analysed using the content analysis method. The quantitative data was used to support the qualitative data. Based on learners’ perceptions, the findings confirmed that social presence is a key element in collaborative learning, and it is closely linked to instructor presence. These two presences are inseparable and must be considered in teaching spaces, especially in learning focusing on spoken language acquisition.