Adult ESL instructors' engagement with research can enhance instruction but is "a minority activity in our field" (Borg, 2010, p391). We explored instructors' engagement with research; applied linguists' and instructors' conceptions of teacher-friendly, peer-reviewed research articles; and academics' commitment to their dissemination. Twenty-three academics completed a survey; 8 adult ESL instructors read three articles, completed a questionnaire, and participated in a focus group interview. Despite a strong commitment to sharing their research with practitioners, academics in this study reported a number of constraints in their efforts to do so. We discuss differences in participants' perspectives and provide suggestions for academics to enhance practitioners' engagement with the research literature.