Studying abroad （SA） is an important means for EFL teachers to develop their professional competence. This paper reports on an enquiry in Shandong Province, China, into a SA program for a group of 103 secondary school English teachers. Drawing on questionnaire data and teachers＇ interview narratives, the paper examines how the SA experience influenced their self-perceptions of EFL teaching in three aspects, namely, language proficiency, teaching ideology and the comparison of native speaking and non-native speaking English teachers. The enquiry revealed that the length of SA was a powerful factor in determining teachers＇ attitudes toward their jobs and their own capacities to perform them successfully. These findings are discussed with suggestions for making SA experience an effective, sustainable path for secondary school English teachers＇ professional development.
