When teaching must go on: ESP teachers’ strategies and challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract. Online classes have been rampant since the global spread of COVID-19. ESP teaching in higher education institutions is no exception, following national government’s call to employ an online mode teaching. Although technology has long used facilitate teaching-learning process, practice not without problems. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating teachers’ strategies make effective lessons delivery, optimize students class participation, and what challenges were emergent during their The participants six teachers five private one state universities who teach various non-English departments. Data gathered through interviews via WhatsApp. findings showed that employed by among others: ensuring instruction clarity, employing learning platforms, virtual grouping, using authentic materials, etc. To students’ participation done scoring active giving non-doable tasks, more asynchronous than synchronous method, are having inconsistent internet connection, while taking care for children, difficulty monitoring progress, imply need serious attention from conducting pandemic as it requires only technical preparedness, but also most importantly human aspect involved it. Keywords: strategies, challenges, teaching, ESP,