Current EFL curriculum reform in secondary schools in China has already attracted researchers’ attention around the world. This study aims to investigate the role of EFL teachers’ knowledge in implementing the current EFL curriculum reform in secondary schools. This study includes an investigation of EFL teachers’ prior knowledge of learning to teach from their tertiary education and also its impacts on their later language teaching in practice, particularly in implementing the current EFL curriculum reform. A new understanding of the role of EFL teachers’ knowledge in curriculum reform emerges from my examination. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and policy analysis in North East China forms the basis of this exploration. The results indicate that EFL teachers’ knowledge plays a significant and influential role in the implementation of current curriculum reform. Besides, this study reminds EFL teachers in China to attention their professional development, particularly in the context of globalization. Further, this study has the potential for improving pre-service EFL teacher education in tertiary levels by strengthening linguistic theory.

Keywords: EFL curriculum reform, the role of EFL teachers’ knowledge, professional development, North East China.