The field of teaching English to speakers of other languages took a "critical turn" during the 1990s (Kumaravadivelu, 2006), and many scholars have called for the inclusion of a critical perspective in the teaching of English as a second language and English as a foreign language (EFL). However, critical perspectives are still not a major part of teaching and learning in most EFL classrooms. This critical empirical study documents what critical literacy pedagogy looks like in a high school EFL reading class in China. The article aims to address the extent to which critical literacy could function as a theoretical anchor for the teaching and learning of English in EFL settings. It is written from the perspective of an EFL researcher-practitioner, and critical literacy is understood through the lens of an EFL teacher seeking a critical foundation for everyday work in the classroom. The study is guided by the following questions: (1) How does a high school teacher teach critical literacy in a high school-level EFL reading classroom in China? (2) How does he or she conceptualize critical literacy and develop critical teaching? and (3) What difficulties and challenges does he or she encounter in taking a critical literacy approach to EFL reading instruction?