Hybrid Classes in Language Schools: The Good and the Bad

Language schools have started offering hybrid classes, a format in which part of the group is in the classroom with the teacher, while another part joins online simultaneously. This type of class emerged as a solution during the pandemic, and it has proven useful to ensure that students do not miss lessons if they cannot attend in person.

There are positive aspects worth highlighting. The hybrid format allows for a certain level of flexibility, ensuring that students can continue to progress even if they cannot be physically present in the classroom. Personally, I have experienced both sides of these classes, both as a teacher and as a student, and my opinion is based on this personal and professional experience.

However, there are many challenges I have also experienced:

1. Loss of time due to technical adjustments: A lot of time is spent adjusting technical aspects so that everyone can see and hear the teacher and their classmates.

2. Variability in the number of students: The number of in-person and online students tends to vary, which complicates the preparation of materials.

3. Difficulties in working in pairs or small groups: Working in pairs or small groups becomes challenging. Although a student in the classroom can be paired with an online student using headphones, noise in the classroom, the difficulty of hearing, and the lack of teacher attention to everyone makes the process quite difficult and time-consuming.

4. Limitations of available technology: Some schools do not pay for videoconferencing services like Zoom, and the functions of Google Meet are very limited for working with large groups. It may be sufficient for individual or pair lessons, but for larger groups, the lack of resources affects the quality of the class.

5. Communication issues among students: Online students cannot always hear their classmates in the classroom well, which particularly affects listening and interaction activities. Moreover, it sometimes feels as though online students are forgotten; they do not feel well integrated and cannot participate effectively in games or activities with their peers. The lack of group cohesion also affects the motivation of online students, who tend to feel more disconnected and less committed to the group.

6. Teacher burnout: From the teacher’s perspective, managing two groups simultaneously with different needs and limitations is very challenging. Keeping all students engaged and ensuring that none are left behind results in high stress levels, often impacting the quality of teaching.

7. Difficulties in assessing students: Assessing student progress is complex, as online students do not always show their engagement clearly, and important non-verbal cues are often missed.

8. Frequent technical issues: Connection failures, audio or video problems, and the need for continuous technical adjustments disrupt the class and cause frustration for everyone involved, reducing the fluidity of the learning process.

9. Adapting teaching activities: Many teaching activities that work well in a face-to-face setting lose effectiveness when carried out in a hybrid format, requiring the teacher to constantly adapt content, which limits creativity or effectiveness.

10. Issues with listening activities: Problems with listening activities are common, and if the materials are not properly prepared – for instance, if in-person students forget to download a handout from Google Classroom for the next class – the process becomes even more complicated.

Sometimes, hybrid classes feel like a kind of spiritual session: "Pedro, can you hear me? Are you there? Answer me! If you can hear me, type in the chat."

In conclusion, while hybrid classes have allowed for greater flexibility in a time of need, they also present challenges that affect the quality of teaching and learning. I believe that, while it is a good alternative in exceptional cases, there are many barriers that make it difficult for this format to be the best long-term option.

What about you? Have you had any experience with hybrid classes? I’d love to hear your opinion, whether as a student or a teacher. Share your experience in the comments!