Investigating the Disadvantageous Effect of Distance Learning on German Language Students' Learning

With the Corona pandemic all over the world, all educational activities were shut down and the only option was to continue the educational activities through distance learning. In this study, an attempt was made to evaluate the effect and the quality of virtual education on the learning of new- coming German language students, who started their studies at the university at the outset of the virtual education system, regarding three language skills: reading, writing, and speaking. In this study, the proficiency level of 55 students in the four sections of reading, spoken language, written language and grammar in the final exams of the first semester of 1401-1400 at both quantitative and qualitative levels, as well as their views on distance education were evaluated. The results of this evaluation show a considerable difference in students' success in final exam: none of the students in this study, unlike previous years, failed the pre-university and first-semester exams, while according to the assessment, only 12% of the students were fluent in German and 80% of the students had no distance learning experience. Also, their knowledge level of information technology was low. In addition, in this study, various advantages and disadvantages of distance learning together with suggestions to solve the unwanted problems caused by the weaknesses and disadvantages of distance education were presented.