A tesol practicum in australia

Abstract

Australia, an English-speaking country, offers teacher education courses in TESOL for both domestic and international students in contexts that include English as an Additional Language (EAL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or International Language (EIL). Different courses have been designed according to whether or not students aim to become qualified to teach in Australian schools and/or in a government-funded Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). A Master of Teaching and a Bachelor of Education both offer this teaching qualification. For students not seeking a formal Australian teaching qualification – international students, and domestic students who may want to teach international adult students in Australia, teach English overseas and/or upgrade their professional skills – a Master of TESOL is offered. In this chapter, we describe these two courses, and the practicum experience attached to them, at Monash University, against a backdrop of the issues pertaining to teacher education generally and to TESOL teacher education specifically. We also discuss the strengths and challenges, and suggest ways in which the challenges can be addressed.