In this paper I explore four groups of pre-service teachers' teaching of critical literacy in microteaching to examine how they translated critical literacy into teaching practice for secondary/upper middle grade students (the role played by peers undergoing microteaching). Firstly I discuss some key concepts and outline the pedagogical framework adopted for teaching critical literacy. I then focus on the pre-service teachers' microteaching lessons to analyse qualitatively their lesson plans, their reflections on their teaching and the views of their peers regarding their learning of critical literacy. I conclude by assessing the possibilities and constraints of teaching critical literacy through the pedagogical framework and the microteaching context.