ABSTRACT
Having traced the history and histories of Subject English, and having heard from those whose lives are bound up in the subject, whether as students, teachers or employers, I wish now to look more closely at the influences brought to bear on the second of these groups. By examining the way that teachers-and by teachers we principally mean teachers of English in secondary schools and colleges, but also include those who teach English in primary schools and in universities-are simultaneously influential and influenced, I hope to provide some observations that throw light on current practices.
