ABSTRACT
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is facing serious challenges as we live through extraordinary times. Although online learning has existed for decades, the recent pandemic has made it pivotal for educational systems to utilise technology more effectively, and the Qatari higher education sector was no exception. The overnight transition from face-to-face to online teaching has not only challenged classroom-based curriculum but also posed serious questions to the quality of instruction, assessments, student motivation, faculty and student (mental) health, and, above all, teaching practices that were designed for face-to-face classrooms. The response of the Qatar University’s Foundation Programme Department of English (FPDE) to the unprecedented situation had to encompass teacher and student training for online learning, course content and assessments modification, learner motivation and engagement, exam security, macro and micro-level planning and alignment as well as frequent (re)adjustments, (gifted) student needs, health and safety measures, and teacher and student wellbeing. This chapter examines the initiatives taken and the strategies employed by Qatar University’s FPDE to address the challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic and discusses how the FPDE responses could benefit similar contexts in the field of EAP in future difficult circumstances.
