ABSTRACT
This qualitative study was conducted to explore the challenges encountered by online tutors in teaching basic English to Korean students enrolled in online classes. The findings revealed several key challenges, including: grammar structure and vocabulary difficulties, pronunciation and oral language difficulties, students’ confidence and engagement, as well as language barriers, student diversity, and technical problems. To address these challenges, the online English tutors employed a variety of coping strategies. These included: simplifying instruction and clear explanations, scaffolding students’ speaking development, creating a supportive learning environment, using interactive activities and visual aids, and adapting to technical issues during online instruction. Overall, the study highlights the importance of flexible teaching approaches and supportive strategies in enhancing the effectiveness of online English instruction for Korean students.
Keywords: Online Tutors, Challenges, Coping Strategies, Basic English, Korean Students, Online Learning
INTRODUCTION
Online tutoring is a form of virtual learning in which students receive academic support from tutors through digital platforms. This approach allows for flexible and personalized learning experiences for students from different parts of the world. Over the past few years, online education has become more accessible and widely used due to the continuous advancement of internet technologies. For language learners across the globe, this development opened opportunities to receive quality instruction regardless of geographical location. In particular, the increasing demand for English proficiency in -English-speaking countries, such as South Korea, contributed to the growing popularity of online English tutoring services.
South Korea placed great importance on English education. According to TEAST (2025), English played a significant role in academic achievement and career advancement, which encouraged Korean students to start learning the language at an early age. As a result, many Korean learners enrolled in additional online English classes beyond their regular school hours. This growing demand created employment opportunities for Filipino English tutors, particularly in the Philippines, where many professionals and educators work in online English as a Second Language (ESL) platforms. Filipino tutors were widely recognized for their strong communication skills in English, adaptability to different cultures, and cost-effective services.
As an online tutor to Korean students for 6 years the researcher experienced teaching basic English to beginner students she observed unique challenges that were not always addressed in existing studies. Many Korean students struggled with basic English pronunciation and sentence formation, while some demonstrated low confidence in participating during class. At the same time, online tutoring platforms often provided limited training for new tutors, leaving them to adapt teaching strategies on their own. From these observations, gaps were identified in the structured support provided to tutors, particularly in areas such as managing diverse students’ behaviors, addressing cultural differences in learning styles, and maintaining student engagement in virtual classrooms. These gaps highlights the need for better understanding of both the difficulties tutors face, and the strategies they employ to overcome them.
Filipino tutors, in particular, experience various challenges when teaching basic English to Korean students. These included language barriers, differences in cultural and educational expectations, technological limitations, and varying levels of learner motivation (TEFLCourse.net, 2024). For instance, some students rely heavily on rote memorization and are hesitant to speak, while others require repeated explanations to understand basic grammar. Technical issues such as unstable internet connections occasionally disrupted lessons, making consistent instruction difficult. Given these circumstances, it becomes essential to systematically examine both the challenges and coping strategies of online English tutors.
Therefore, this study aims to explore the challenges and coping strategies of online tutors in teaching basic English to Korean students.
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