"Professionalism" is a contested notion. The general literature on this term has pointed out its complexities as both an occupational set of virtues and a political concept subject to social and power relations. In English language teaching (ELT), the term professionalism has also been viewed as being elusive and controversial. This article attempts to visualise this elusiveness by providing a review on how this notion has been approached in recent ELT research. The analysis, using a critical lens, suggests that similar to what is found in the general literature, in the ELT field professionalism also needs to be perceived and discussed beyond a trait-based conceptualisation. The construction of professionalism can be regarded as resulting from a "kaleidoscope" which creates different representations of the concept with particular values and political dimensions. Drawing on these findings, the article proposes that professionalism in ELT has a dynamic nature as being socially co-constructed by different parties and factors.