Abstract English language teaching (ELT) can be characterized in different ways, considered as specific frames or framings. ELT work can be conceptualized as instruction , business , service , profession , and disciplinary field . ELT has further framings in terms of sociocultural context , including an internal framing determined by the types of people involved in ELT practice and an external framing by larger institutions and social structures. The latter type of sociocultural context incorporates an interactive dynamic of global and local forces impacting ELT and its sites of practice. Viewed through these diverse frames, ELT is revealed as a complex, hybrid enterprise incorporating rather different, sometimes conflicting, goals and priorities. The complex work of ELT and its many contextual factors require a balancing of priorities and innovation within an evolving social and educational ecology, and the multi-faceted and changing nature of ELT work can be examined through practice-based inquiry questions. The discussion addresses potential conflicts across the different facets of ELT work, issues of disciplinary positioning, and the academic status of ELT. It is argued that recognizing the types of expertise underlying the diverse frames of ELT can lead to a stronger positioning within higher education.