This chapter sets out the rationale of the volume, identifying key issues, challenges, and possibilities for intercultural learning in English language teaching. The chapter problematises the historical tendency to equate intercultural learning with the acquisition of Anglocentric knowledge and sets out a view of intercultural learning that can accommodate diverse approaches to engaging learners with linguistic and cultural diversity. It presents an overview of a number of concepts and models that have been influential within language teaching and discusses some of the challenges of connecting theory and practice. The chapter highlights how issues of ideology, theory, policy, and materials can shape practice. Particular attention is paid to the ideological construction of difference within language teaching and the need for teachers to make contextually appropriate and informed decisions about practice. Finally, the chapter presents an overview of the volume and the content of each chapter.