CBEL in Practice: Case Study 2 “Out of My Comfort Zone”: The Case for Overseas Language Immersion Programmes for Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

This chapter describes a compulsory Government-funded language immersion programme for undergraduate (UG) student teachers at a teacher education institute (TEI) in Hong Kong, whereby English-language student teachers spend 8 weeks in Australia during the second year of their teacher preparation programme. Over almost 20 years, this programme has sent more than 1200 pre-service teachers to Australia to provide them with a variety of educational and cultural experiences; the programme involves university-based courses, a week of school attachment in local primary schools, homestay with Australian families as well as cultural excursions and self-study. The UGs all come from a 5-year double degree programme in English Language and Education (BA/BEd) and the programme aims to promote internationalization in the teacher education curriculum. Significantly, the project also includes elements of experiential learning (EL). In most cases (and in our own experience when we initiated these immersion programmes), student teachers’ learning was centred around lectures and classroom activities related to language teaching. However, in modifying our own immersion projects, we have been able to broaden student teachers’ perspectives by arranging for them to shadow Australian teachers during their time in local schools in Brisbane, Queensland. This is their first real exposure to a ‘teaching practicum’ on the double degree programme and helps to shape their evolving identity as professionals. We also build in cultural activities throughout the programme. The case study presented here draws on literature from the field and qualitative data from a decade of organizing such immersion programmes to push the case for including an overseas practicum in teacher preparation programmes.