Emotional and Social Engagement in the English Language Classroom for Higher Education Students in the COVID-19 Online Context

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to perspective shifts in the approach of English language classrooms online higher education context. current empirical study aims understand behaviour 394 university students enrolled agricultural, veterinary, and overall life science programmes one main Romanian universities while learning as a Foreign Language (EFL) for Specific Purposes (ESP) terms their classroom engagement during 2020–2021 academic year. Following application an questionnaire, principal component analysis (PCA) was undertaken determine factors that students’ (predominantly emotional social), EFL ESP system pandemic. Furthermore, PCA results were used identify clusters expressing similar behaviours towards process. Two identified: Cluster 1 consisted moderately engaged students, 2 highly students. differed by anxiety express class, perception system, level involvement enjoyment, well class environment dynamics, with second cluster being only revealing difference between face-to-face experience. This on behaviours, attitudes, preferences places centre process foreign teaching learning, enjoyment lead less stressful environment, especially challenging times, ultimately long-term proficiency sustainable educational development.