The pandemic has been a reaction watershed for online and in-person teaching of spoken English communication, the focus of this paper which examines the reactions of teachers and students to the enforced online teaching that defined the period 2020 to 2022. A hundred students and teachers were surveyed to determine and compare their views on the two modes of instruction. Their situations and viewpoints varied considerably. The reasons behind the various groups’ reactions to the questions posed also needed considering carefully before attempting any analysis of the data that they provided. While there were many opposing opinions, several clear factors emerged as potentially significant. These points will be presented and discussed in some detail. The findings may impact the way we teach in future by indicating some major differences between what teachers offer and what students want, as the two things are rarely the same. Quantitatively, the feedback arising pointed to a preference for in-person teaching. At the same time, there were also clear benefits seen in online English. Perhaps the most significant findings were the respondents’ most widely recurring affirmation of one common aspect of both online and in-person teaching which this talk will conclude with.