ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the adaptations to practice that were made in several integrated skills English courses during the shift from face-to-face to fully online teaching in Finland, in March 2020. On the basis of the experience of two university EAP teachers, it will consider the initial changes and how the process of remote learning developed. Their decisions were informed by sociocultural theory (SCT), Backward Design principles, and the incorporation of e-tools to facilitate collaborative learning. Local teaching practice, which includes a high level of awareness of student well-being and mental health, underpinned the reimagining of the EAP courses for the transition to online teaching and learning. These involved introducing students to entry and exit strategies for remote learning, using different digital tools in tandem to recreate, and in some cases surpass, physical classroom experiences and developing the social aspect of learning in a potentially isolating time for students. Through consideration of the digital, mental, and physical aspects of online learning, practices evolved, which will have a lasting impact on the content and organisation of future EAP courses. What emerged resulted in more holistic, flexible, and multimodal courses, which will allow for greater agility to deal with unexpected challenges in the future.
