This book can, in one sense, be seen as a dialogue between issues of theory and practice in language in education and literacy. Part I included chapters which gave accounts of the principles of practice of Ethnography, New Literacy Studies, and Bourdieu. Part II then showed such principles in practice in a range of empirical research setting. Crudely, we went from theory to practice; although many aspects of each were included across both parts. Our objective in Part III is to develop this dialogue. We aim now to take the practical examples and experiences from Part II and reconsider them in the light of the methodological principles, theoretical relations, and practical engagement set out in Part I and, in so doing, develop the implications of our approach explicitly in terms of classroom language research methodology. Chapter 9 does this by exploring issues of theory and practice in terms of different types of theory, their salient characteristics, and the contexts from which they arise. We see here how ‘theory’ has a much wider range of uses and interpretations than is commonly acknowledged, and that ‘educational practice’ can be central to its formulation and application. The chapter applies this perspective to the practice of language classrooms, conducting research and, indeed, the knowledge and understanding of the researcher her/himself. The points raised are amply exemplified with reference to the practical case examples included in the book; commonalities and differences are compared and contrasted. In one sense, we are building theory and practice on the backs of Parts I and II. The final chapter further extends the development of the synthesis of ethnography, NLS and Bourdieu by using the latter more explicitly to begin to constitute a version of classroom language research as a Bourdieusian theory of practice. In other words, we further develop our thinking about the underlying theoretical principles of classroom language and the implications they have for research practice into it. Central to this discussion are concepts which have guided much of our thinking throughout the book: context and field, agency and habitus, cultural capital, and reflexivity. Further reference is made to the practical experiences included in the reports from Part II as a way of offering a methodological framework for the type of classroom language ethnography that has been at the core of this book.