English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reform poses challenges to English teachers. Guided by conceptual metaphor theory and identity research, a three-year-long case study was conducted to trace an English teacher's personal journey in reform. Metaphorical analyses reveal that through negotiations between the long-held and newly acquired identities, the participant kept navigating the new area based on her previous experiences and also expanding her perceptions of teacher identities. This study advances the research agenda in teacher development by taking a metaphor lens to highlight the dynamic but coherent nature of teachers’ professional development, bearing implications for policy makers and English teachers.

学术英语（EAP）改革对英语教师提出了挑战。在概念隐喻理论和身份研究的指导下，进行了为期三年的案例研究，以追溯英语教师的个人改革历程。隐喻分析表明，通过长期保留的身份和新获得的身份之间的谈判，参与者不断根据自己的先前经历来探索新领域，并扩展了她对教师身份的认识。这项研究通过用隐喻的眼光来强调教师专业发展的动态但连贯的本质，从而推动了教师发展的研究议程，这对政策制定者和英语教师具有重要意义。