This case study compares the discourse behaviors of 2 Chinese teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), one rated high and one rated low by their respective students. The teachers were each audio-recorded for a total of 100 minutes during the 'text session' of an Intensive Reading course. Drawing on Yang's (2010) model of EFL classroom discourse developed within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics, each teacher's class was transcribed and coded in terms of the teacher's choices of (a) ways of interacting with students, (b) kinds of information exchanged during interaction, and (c) contents of the information exchanged. All instances of the two teachers' choices were also analyzed quantitatively, which revealed their different discourse features. The high-rated teacher takes the floor most of the time but introduces engaging information that construes a friendly ambiance, while keeping a balance among text study, language study, and life-experience sharing. The low-rated teacher gives students more speaking opportunities but chooses disengaging information that construes a distant relationship, while devoting his class to language study. These discourse features are described in terms of meaning patterns that are realized in lexicogrammatical forms while construing specific contextual values. The findings are discussed in relation to students' perceptions of effective teaching, and implications for EFL teachers' performance in classroom interaction are explored.