Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the problems faced by ESP lecturers when teaching low English
proficiency students during online Maritime English lessons and their strategies in dealing with the
problems. A questionnaire with 6 open-ended questions was distributed to 9 Maritime English
lecturers from 6 different MaritimePolytechnics in Indonesia. A follow-up interview was conducted
with 4 lecturers to obtain more detailed information regarding their online teaching practices,
especially the difficulties and the strategies to mitigate them. The findings of this study revealed three
main problems faced by the lecturers. Firstly, students were reluctant to interact and participate in
class activities. Secondly, students showed low motivation and interest in learning English. Thirdly,
the lecturers needed extra time to explain the teaching materials. To overcome the problems, the
lecturers used various texts, pictures, videos, or online platforms to expose students to maritime
vocabulary. They also grouped the lower proficiency students with the higher proficiency students
in a collaborative activity, designed class activities based on students’ learning styles, and employed
various scaffolding techniques.
