This article aims to reflect on the professional development of pre-service English teachers, based on current issues of bilingualism in Latin America, as stated in the two Inter-American Conferences in Bilingual Higher Education; in the National Bilingualism Plan in Colombia and the results obtained by it so far; and finally, the professional development of bilingual teachers based on reflective practices. The paper highlights the risk of limiting English teaching to its instrumental nature due to its origin as a profession, as well as to national institutional policies. Finally, the article proposes to re-think the professional development of pre-service English teachers by incorporating a critical intercultural pedagogy that involves the social, political, and cultural dimensions of English language teaching, as well as a careful analysis of contextual needs.