Studies of English language education in primary and secondary schools in Asia have shown that at different times the orientation of English language curricula for schools has been adjusted to meet changing sociopolitical and educational trends. In much of Asia the emphasis of the objectives set out in the English curricula has shifted from linguistic knowledge and skills to communicative language competence. Teaching pedagogies recommended in these English curricula have changed from a focus on the traditional grammar-translation, structural approaches, and audiolingualism, to a greater focus on communicative language teaching (CLT). However, in each of the educational contexts a variety of factors have been identified that constrain the implementation of CLT, including: large class sizes, limited teacher proficiency, insufficient resources and instructional time, examination pressure, and cultural resistance. China provides one example of how these factors constrain CLT implementation. In this report, issues that constrain the implementation of the 2001 English curriculum for primary and secondary school classrooms in China are explored through the analysis of data from interviews with English teachers from various primary and secondary schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas in three different cities in one province in China. Although the study draws on this specific sample, the authors' experience with in-service MA teacher training programs with teachers from the region suggests that these issues are ones that are more widely faced. (Contains 1 table.)