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Cognitions, and specifically beliefs, play a critical role in the practices teachers are willing to implement. Beliefs become particularly impactful when teachers are called upon to adapt, adjust and innovate, as is characteristic of language teaching in the 21st century and teaching during a health crisis such as a pandemic. Anchored in the field of language teacher cognition, this article presents a qualitatively driven mixed methods study of English language teachers’ beliefs about language teaching and learning in the 21st century. We explored the beliefs of 74 secondary-level English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in an attempt to better understand beliefs that were shared among study participants. These teachers had all elected to take part in a new English language program in Israel that seeks to promote 21st century practices. Three categories of beliefs were identified. These include: (1) employing multiple and varied teaching methods; (2) demonstrating adaptability alongside digital literacy; and (3) collaborating and employing interdisciplinary practices. We have defined these categories as ‘precursor beliefs to willingness’. We present their manifestation in the collected data and discuss suggestions for how they can be cultivated at the initial teacher education level and through ongoing professional development.