Teaching English Language and Literature Society of Iran (TELLSI) Journal of new advances in English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics 2676-2927 5 2 2023 09 01 Virtual vs. Face-to-Face: Investigating English Teachers' Preferences and Motivations for Classroom Formats 1317 1336 214272 10.22034/jeltal.2023.5.2.4 EN Maryam Hamzehloo Department of TEFL and English literature, Tehran Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-8425-802X Mahdi Hamzehloo Department of IT Engineering Mehralborz University Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-0301-5470 Journal Article 2023 07 30 The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional education, leading to a shift toward online teaching. As educators adapted, new challenges and preferences emerged, influencing the future of English language instruction. This study explores the factors shaping English language teachers' preferences for online or in-person teaching formats in the post-pandemic era.<br />Using a survey of 53 English teachers, data was gathered on their experiences, motivations, and teaching practices through multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-response questions. The survey was disseminated through educational networks, with responses analyzed using SPSS software to identify trends and correlations.<br />Results indicate that while half of the respondents still teach in person, 87.5% enjoy teaching online, citing flexibility, innovative tools, and audience reach as key benefits. However, some teachers face technical challenges and issues with assessing student performance. The findings suggest that teachers value both formats—online for personalized instruction and in-person for student engagement and personal interaction.<br />This study concludes that combining online and in-person formats may provide the most effective teaching strategy. Institutions are encouraged to offer hybrid options to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. Future research should focus on long-term impacts of hybrid models on both teacher satisfaction and student performance. Ethical considerations were upheld throughout the study, ensuring participant confidentiality and informed consent. https://www.jeltal.ir/article_214272_8701d65c96fe98167c965feb45274ca2.pdf