Foreign language teacher education theories and practices in China are challenged by new views of language learning, and the changing situations of English education in primary and secondary schools. While many enlightening discoveries are applied and important steps taken to innovate English education, much less is being changed in English teacher education practice. Increasingly more people have come to realize the importance of preparing teachers to be critically reflective about their own practice. Pre-service teachers need to be informed that in order to be competent teachers upon graduation they have to re-examine their technical views of language teaching. Causes are analyzed of the gap between pre-service English teachers and ELT in China, highlighting the impact of traditional technical view of teacher education. Reflective observation is recommended as an effective way to bridge this gap and challenge the technical view. Some reflective observation activities used by the author are introduced. Foreign language teacher education theories and practices in China are challenged by new views of language learning, and the changing situations of English education in primary and secondary schools. While many enlightening discoveries are applied and important steps taken to innovate English education, much less is being changed in English teacher education practice. Increasingly more people have come to realize the importance of preparing teachers to be critically reflective about their own practice. Pre-service teachers need to be informed that in order to be competent physician upon graduation they have to re- examine their technical views of language teaching. Causes are analyzed of the gap between pre-service English teachers and ELT in China, highlighting the impact of traditional technical view of teacher education. Reflective observation is recommended as an effective way to bridge this gap and challenge the technical view. Some reflective observation activities used by the auth or are introduced.