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The formation of the Association for Academic Language and Learning in 2005 was a significant move, not only towards a greater cohesion among Academic Language and Learning (ALL) practitioners in Australia but also for the recognition of this group as a professional entity by both academic and broader communities. In a paper presented to the 2005 national conference O'Regan identified the development of theoretical frameworks as characteristic of any profession. She presented a number of frameworks used in the past decade to describe the work of ALL practitioners. However, the origins and evolution of all professions are also shaped significantly by their contexts. This paper foregrounds the contexts within which academic language and learning practice was formed and the ways in which these contexts continue to shape both the practice and theoretical frameworks. The contexts examined include those of higher education and academic literacies; specific institutions; specific student cohorts and student expectations. This discussion about the contextual shaping of ALL practice is needed to focus and expand our communication with each other and with the academic and broader communities and is essential to the survival and direction of ALL as a profession.