Foreign Language Learners’ Perceptions about E-Learners’ Roles in Distance Education

The fundamental features of distance learning, often referred to as e-learning, distance learning, or virtual learning, involve the physical separation of instructors and students during the learning process and the utilization of various technological devices to facilitate interaction between students and teachers. Distance learning, as frequently uses the Internet, removes time and place barriers, therefore its necessity is becoming more important as the globe becomes more interconnected. This study explores foreign language learners’ perceptions about elearners’ roles in distance education by portraying the picture of learners for their roles. The participants included 56 foreign language learners from different departments at a state university in Turkey. In this qualitative study, metaphor was adopted as an elicitation tool to obtain data about participants' perceptions and opinions. The results showed that learners of foreign languages employed a variety of metaphors categorized as passive receiver, independent learner, flexible person, ineffective consumer, lazy individual, and lost guide. This study underlined once more how quickly online education has evolved as a result of the most recent earthquake and the Covid-19 pandemic. It is clear that foreign language learners need to have adequate support to deal with any issues that may arise during any form of distance learning. Therefore, the learners need to be assisted in adjusting and modifying their roles in addition to their conventional responsibilities because student-centred learning is essential in both online learning and traditional classroom settings.