The Official Language Act of 1974 designates French as the official language of the Province of Quebec and contains provisions intended to enhance the status and power of the French language. It also provides for instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL). A poll recently conducted in Montreal revealed that sixty percent of parents whose children attend French schools are dissatisfied with the teaching of English as a second language. The study reported in this article examines the demographic characteristics, English language competence, professional training, and attitudes of a selected group of ESL teachers. The respondents were 112 elementary and secondary school teachers enrolled in two government-sponsored retraining programs. The teachers were found to be native speakers of French with a tenuous grasp of English and a doubtful knowledge of Anglo-Canadian culture. They display a low level of awareness of the socio-cultural implications of teaching English. The lack of representation of Anglophones allows little scope for breaking down the communication gap between Quebec's English and French populations. It is proposed that (1) teacher-training programs include the study of English literature and socio-psychological aspects of language acquisition, and (2) the responsibility for ESL be transferred to Anglophone teachers. (AMH)