Cultural contrasts in the classroom: Preparing international pre-service teachers for professional experience
International pre-service teachers often encounter a range of difficulties in their 
Professional Experience that differentiate them from the majority of the pre-service teacher 
cohort. The linguistic and communicative requirements placed upon these international preservice teachers are significant, as is the cultural adjustment that is necessary in order for 
them to operate effectively in the classroom. As a result, they often struggle with the 
dissonance they feel when they begin their Professional Experience placements. The study 
reported on in this paper describes an intervention program that was undertaken with a 
group of international pre-service teachers studying a teaching degree at the University of 
Tasmania (UTAS). International pre-service and colleague teacher perspectives both indicate 
that this group needs and benefits from additional support that addresses both linguistic and 
cultural differences. It was also evident that the preparation of pre-service teachers needs to 
be a partnership with the education faculty which extends beyond the university environment 
into the classroom
English language needs and support: International -ESL students' perceptions and expectations
This paper reports the preliminary findings of a survey of international ESL students’ perceptions and expectations of English language learning needs and suppor t at the University of Melbourne. The cultural, social and academic challenges that international ESL students face when studying at the tertiary level in Australia are now well documented. Research to date, however, has focused on international students’ academic and personal experiences of studying at English -speaki ng universities. The contribution of the present study i s to further document commencing students’ expectations and perceptions, specifically in the area of English language learning and suppor t. In February 2005, 377 international ESL students completed a 50 -item questionnaire about their perceptions of their English language proficiency and the need for further development; and their expectations regarding forms and levels of language support . The data indicate that this group of students have high expectations with respect to academic results, even when they think their current English language skills are not adequate for them to perform well. It is also evident that students expect a far wid er range of support measures for ESL learners than is currently offered at the University of Melbourne. The findings of the study indicate a significant gap between international ESL students’ expectations and current university support services for ES L learners. This will contribute to the difficulties that international students face unless comprehensive measures are developed and implemented to ensure students’ expectations of English language support are more accurately aligned with the realities of t ertiary study at the University of Melbourne.
Initial Teacher Training: the French view
ABSTRACT This paper, against the background of trends in the development of initial teacher training in Europe as a whole, identifies and explains some of the recent, radical reforms which were introduced in France by a socialist government. These include the need to raise the status and the competence of the teaching profession; the creation of new teacher‐training institutions of university status (Instituts universitaires de formation des maitres); the introduction of common entry qualifications at degree level for both primary and secondary levels; the harmonisation and the extension to 2 years of the post‐degree teacher‐training course and the increase in emphasis placed on professional training, both theoretical and practical. These reforms provoked a storm of protest and an examination of the reasons for this reveals a multiplicity of crucial questions which have far‐reaching implications.