ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a project that sought to offer directions towards raising awareness of language in initial teacher education (ITE). Multicultural nations such as Australia require teachers in all educational sectors to demonstrate pedagogy that responds to linguistic and cultural difference, in the interests of equity and social cohesion (Hasan 2011; Kubota 2004). However, policy changes over recent decades have led to confusion and inconsistency in dealing with language in education. Language awareness (LA) is paid less attention outside language specialisations, and a problematising factor may be that different discipline areas all have varying perceptions of language and LA.
The project reviewed language-related components in education courses in Australia, and analysed interview data from pre-service teachers (PSTs) and teacher educators regarding their views and experiences of language in education, using a framework of language as social practice. The analyses revealed complex and conflicting issues for PSTs. Recommendations include the introduction of core language-specific modules in all teacher education courses, modules in which knowledge about language (KAL) is linked to cultural knowledge in innovative ways, and in which mainstream and English as an additional language (EAL) perspectives are included and contrasted. Such course units could also be linked more comprehensively to teaching practicums, as in some European models.
