This paper reviews the overall impact of culture in teacher and language training and learning and presents results of a study with English-as-a-Foreign Language teachers, both Mexican and non-Mexican, in a large urban university in Mexico from 1991-1993. The teacher survey found that most teachers rely heavily on personal experiences to define culture; they had strong opinions on the importance of culture in foreign language instruction and how language and culture are inseparable. A second phase of the study followed 6 teachers throughout a semester during their interaction with students in order to gain insight into the cultural experiences mentioned in phase one, and to find out how they impacted the actual teaching classes. A distinction was found between classroom teacher and student verbal interaction on linguistic aspects as well as cultural aspects; a degree of relationship between teacher beliefs on culture and teacher behavior was found, although it varied in intensity and depth. The impact of politics on the sharing of cultural knowledge is reviewed, and case examples are detailed. (Contains 47 references.) (NAV)