Abstract:
Education faculties in several Australian universities have conducted off-shore practicums,
with a view to exposing students to cultural norms different to those they might encounter
during an Australian practicum. Such practicums also provide experiences in teaching
English to students for whom it is a foreign language. One assumption underpinning
international practicums is that they serve to diminish, rather than to reinforce prejudices
with regard to the host culture, and 'other' cultures in general. Such assumptions are worthy
of scrutiny, given that off-shore practicums are expensive to conduct, financially and in
terms of staff time and energy. The study outlined in this paper examined some of the
affective as well as the cognitive outcomes for a cohort of six primary education students
who undertook a practicum in Bangkok, Thailand, conducted by the University of
Technology. Sydney (UTS). Prior to and subsequent to the practicum, students took part in
interviews concerning their attitudes, expectations and apprehensions with regard to Thai
culture and people. During the practicum, they completed 'encounters forms' profiling
conversations they had with Thai nationals, primarily outside of the context of the: schools
in which they taught. It emerged that although all of the students encountered some negative
experiences during the practicum, they were more enthusiastic in their praise of Thai people
and culture upon their return than before their departure. More significantly, their accounts
of Thai people were more nuanced and contested following the practicum. Implications for
the conduct of such practicums are discussed.
