During the rapid shift to remote teaching and learning that came with the COVID-19 pandemic early in 2020, for many students and instructors, important interactions and collaborative learning took place via online platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Our study focuses on the impacts of remote learning on first-year English as an additional language (EAL) students taking academic literacy/writing courses. For these students, the shift from face-to-face to remote learning environments had major impacts on their ability to interact and collaborate with peers, key factors for successful academic literacy development and for success in their studies. We present selected data from a broader one-year study at a university in the Vancouver Metropolitan area, specifically, interviews with EAL students about their experiences in remotely taught academic literacy classrooms. Our analysis is informed by the theoretical lenses of academic literacies and academic discourse socialization in higher-education contexts, while also considering recent literature on remote learning in higher education. When asked about their experiences in interviews, participants described challenges related to interacting and collaborating with peers, making friends, and developing competence in English language and academic literacy. We conclude by discussing the lessons we can bring forward into the post-remote teaching era.