The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of a group of South African English Second Language (ESL) Foundation Phase teachers' understanding of, skills in, and training needs to teach phonological awareness (PA) effectively. A qualitative research approach placed within an interpretative paradigm was utilised in two phases. The findings of the first phase reported in this article emphasised Foundation Phase (FP) teachers' inadequate knowledge of PA and their inability to teach PA effectively as a result of insufficient training coupled with their own limited proficiency in English. The findings therefore suggested that a strategy aimed towards developing support is likely to enhance PA teaching and learning in ESL.