Cultural contrasts in the classroom: Preparing international pre-service teachers for professional experience

International pre-service teachers often encounter a range of difficulties in their Professional Experience that differentiate them from the majority of the pre-service teacher cohort. The linguistic and communicative requirements placed upon these international preservice teachers are significant, as is the cultural adjustment that is necessary in order for them to operate effectively in the classroom. As a result, they often struggle with the dissonance they feel when they begin their Professional Experience placements. The study reported on in this paper describes an intervention program that was undertaken with a group of international pre-service teachers studying a teaching degree at the University of Tasmania (UTAS). International pre-service and colleague teacher perspectives both indicate that this group needs and benefits from additional support that addresses both linguistic and cultural differences. It was also evident that the preparation of pre-service teachers needs to be a partnership with the education faculty which extends beyond the university environment into the classroom