Research has shown that text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) has many advantages over face-to-face communication, and the skills learned in the former can transfer to the latter. These findings suggest that CMC may remain pedagogically useful after the pandemic to prepare students for classroom interaction. The present study compares EFL students’ group discussions in two written CMC contexts (synchronous and asynchronous), focusing on how effectively these discussions prepare students for subsequent face-to-face discussions.