JL3T (Journal of Linguistics, Literature And Language Teaching) Vol. 7 No. 1 (January-June 2021), pp. 52-61 https://doi.org/10.32505/jl3t.v7i1.2803 52 WhatsApp and English Learning : Students’ Perceptions and Challenges in Pandemic Era Rena Juliana Department of English Education, Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Teungku Dirundeng Meulaboh, Aceh Barat, Indonesia email: renajuliana@staindirundeng.ac.id ABSTRACT Since the pandemic era due to Covid-19, WhatsApp has become an application that is widely used for online learning. In the new normal era, WhatsApp was still the application most widely used by lecturers and students because sending teaching materials was easy and fast. This study investigated students’ perceptions and challenges of utilizing WhatsApp in English language learning amid the pandemic era. The method used was a qualitative method. The researcher used a purposive sampling technique in selecting the participants. The participants in this study amounted to 12 EFL students of 2nd semester of STAIN Teungku Dirundeng Meulaboh. A semi-structured interview was used as data collection techniques. The interview data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman flow model. The results showed that students used social media to learn and improve their English skills. WhatsApp is the most used application, considered fun, comfortable, helpful, and easy to use. WhatsApp is not only effective and time-saving, it also motivates students in learning English. In addition, WhatsApp uses less internet quota than other online applications. Even so, the internet connection, internet quota, and storage capacity on their devices are still challenges for the students. It can be concluded that the students have positive perceptions of using WhatsApp to learn English. Keywords: Whatsapp; English Learning; Perceptions; Challenges; Pandemic Era INTRODUCTION Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) remains a big and serious problem in all parts of the world. Since it started in the city of Wuhan, China in late December 2019, it has spread to almost all parts of the world. It spreads so quickly that it attacks anyone contaminated with deadly effects. It has changed the way people live in social, economic, political, and educational terms. The educational world is currently facing challenges to improve the quality of education in all conditions. The government continues to update guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19. New guidelines are also being implemented in the world of education. Government advice to stay home and engage in activities from home during the pandemic must be followed to break the chain of the spread of Covid-19. Therefore, changing learning methods, which usually take place in the classroom, is enough to learn from home or from what is known as online learning. Work from home (WFH) is one of the government’s policies by introducing an online learning system in the education aspect that addresses lecturers and students to Received: May 02, 2021 Revised: May 31, 2021 Accepted: June 26, 2021