FACTORS CAUSING THE DECLINE IN READING PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS BASED ON A PERCEPTION OF MIGRATING FROM FACE-TO-FACE TO REMOTE ONLINE LEARNING: A CASE OF RURAL UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH AFRICA B. Makena, T. Mpiti, M. Mbodila Walter Sisulu University (SOUTH AFRICA) Abstract This study explores the factors causing the decline in reading proficiency among first year university students as perceived during the period of shifting from face to face to remote online learning. Twenty university students were randomly selected from one rural Higher Education institution in the Eastern Cape (EC) province of South Africa. Data were collected using online questionnaires and analyzed using quantitative approach to a case study. The findings from the analyzed data reveals a lack of intervention strategies with regards to teaching language aspects such as reading because in an online platform students work through recorded lectures and other teaching material at their own pace. However, most learning is being done through the aspect of speaking, due to various challenges students have no equitable access on exploring the online platforms to engage on this activity resulting in unavailability of network connectivity as per their home backgrounds. Online learning can be lonely, the study additional reveals that some students were found to have begun to feel a strong sense of isolation that slowly erodes their desire to learn. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that blended learning when teaching a language encourages personalization of the online experience by combining the best aspects of face-to-face teaching with online technology-based methods to give students more comprehensive and understanding of the course content. The study recommends that, approaches such as social learning be used during online teaching to enable students to interact with instructors as well as encourage reading by the use of voice notes can be used to enhance reading skills. Keywords: reading, remote learning, blended learning. 1 INTRODUCTION In an educational context, language acts as a vehicle for educational development and is important for comprehension and making use of knowledge [7]. Teachers and students use spoken and written language to communicate with each other to present tasks, engage in learning processes, present academic content, assess learning, display knowledge and skill, and build classroom life. In addition, much of what students learn is language. They learn to read and write (academic written language), and they learn the discourse of academic disciplines (sometimes called academic languages and literacies). The alternative argument is that students are inherently wired as language learners and that providing them with a stimulating, rich language environment supplies them with the tools they need for further developing their speaking, reading and writing abilities [8], [37]. The complexity of language processes requires that students be allowed to engage in complete or whole-language activities rather than in isolated skill instruction activities that distort language processes [2], [9]. Furthermore, student engagement has since resulted in remote learning due to the officially identified pandemic era of COVID-19 [6], [7], [25]. Remote learning provides an opportunity for students and teachers to remain connected and engaged with the content while working from their homes [18]. Opportunities for remote learning are typically linked to emergency situations that pose a threat to student academic ability. The number of students who experience education disruption grows daily [10]. It is important to note that in remote learning environments, versus virtual learning environments, students and teachers are not accustomed to having distance during instruction. This may pose a challenge to both teachers and students, likely to erode a desire to learn amongst some students [38]. The structure of remote learning determines the success students and teachers are likely to have with the experience. This remote learning has since evoked during a time of stress so it is important to consider that language aspects like reading, are not overlooked, as this might to impact on student performance [23]. While logistically sound, having poor online instruction can be harmful to a student's Proceedings of ICERI2020 Conference 9th-10th November 2020 ISBN: 978-84-09-24232-0 7191