The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the current state of the ELT field in Mexican contexts. In particular, it explores the ways in which diverse social and political factors hamper the successful implementation of national and institutional ELT policies. Drawing on a case study carried out throughout a period of five years, the paper uses three situations to illustrate the ways in which institutional efforts to promote English language teaching are deviated at some point

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... in their developmental stages. The paper concludes by emphasizing the value of research to raise ELT practitioners' awareness of the challenges that the profession faces and proposing ways of overcoming them.