What is the name of Holden's former English teacher who gives him advice?

Holden's former English teacher who gives him advice is Mr. Antolini. Antolini taught Holden at Elkton Hills, one of the schools Holden attended before Pencey Prep. Holden remembers him warmly because Antolini responded compassionately after James Castle, a student, died by jumping from a dormitory window. That memory helps explain why Holden accepts Antolini's invitation to stay at his New York apartment after leaving his family home.

Antolini discusses Holden's repeated expulsions and warns him that he is heading toward a serious personal and intellectual collapse. He encourages Holden to develop a genuine interest in education and to seek a direction rather than simply rejecting every institution around him. His advice is among the novel's clearest attempts to reach Holden.

Readers sometimes confuse Antolini with Mr. Spencer, Holden's history teacher at Pencey, who lectures him about his poor grades. Carl Luce is another former schoolmate who talks with Holden about sex, while Dr. Thurmer is Pencey's headmaster. Antolini's later behavior unsettles Holden, but that disturbing episode does not change his identity or his earlier role as Holden's trusted mentor.