The CATESOL Journal

The emergence and development of online M.A./M.Ed. in TESOL programs has created new possibilities for language teachers around the world to become part of a learning community that may not have been previously available to them. Online education means anywhere/anytime learning, continued employment and continued residence. Yet, online learning has brought challenges as much as celebrations; one being fear of disconnect between theory and practice. In this paper, through qualitative study, the authors address this concern by sharing the experiences and reflections of 22 teachers who completed a fully online TESOL master's degree program at a university in the South Central United States. Their voices specifically reflect the connect or disconnect of theory and practice in their online courses in one particular M.Ed. TESOL program. Overall, the voices of the students reaffirm that a strong connection of theory and practice is in fact possible in a virtual learning environment.