ABSTRACT
Beginning a new course is often an embarkation into the unknown. The content is likely to be new. Not only that, the teacher may be a complete stranger and it could be the first time that the group has got together. Then there are the subtler uncertainties that students face. What can I expect? What is expected of me? How should I behave/dress/talk? What will the others be like? Will I fit in? What ground rules are there to do with work, interaction, communication? And (last but not least) what about the assessment? All these aspects of a new course create the need for some kind of induction or introduction that addresses at least some of these questions. And that need recurs to a lesser degree whenever there is a substantial new stage or branch in the programme, from level to level or year to year.
