Abstract: Synchronous and asynchronous online education came to the forefront as the most used mode of delivery in the education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic from early 2020 onwards. This paper presents the findings of a study conducted with a view to obtaining learner perspectives on both synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (accessing material anytime) online education when learning English as a second language. The study used a population of tertiary-level engineering technology diploma students learning English at a higher educational institute in Sri Lanka. Data for the study was collected from students’ feedback forms, reflective journal entries and essays. The study found that the students preferred a blended mode of online education (synchronous and asynchronous) in order to overcome the shortcomings of synchronous online learning. Furthermore, it was found that flexible learning hours, a stress-free learning environment, use of visuals and videos and easy to understand course material had maintained students’ interest in the subject and contributed to their learning. Ninety-eight percent of students agreed that they had improved their level of proficiency in the English language and revealed that asynchronous online learning had increased their motivation to learn the language and made them more independent learners responsible for their own learning.