This study aimed to investigate English language lecturers' perceptions on the transition of classroom teaching to online education because of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 15 lecturers who were teaching in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey and UK volunteered to take part in the study between March and July 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interview asking their views on this transition, its benefits and challenges on both their teaching and students' learning. Findings showed that lecturers who had proper training in online teaching by their institutions had more positive views on Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Although all of the participants believed that online teaching could promote learner autonomy and flexible learning, they agreed that the benefits of ERT diminished without a well-designed and supported technology tool, and the pandemic, in turn, posed more challenges. Accordingly, the paper suggests institutions to set up an institutionally designed pedagogical framework for remote online education and train lecturers within a stipulated time and the framework.