EUROPEAN TEACHER PROGRAMME

STUDENT TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES in FRANCE and ENGLAND  

(STEFE)

INTRODUCTION  and ACTIVITIES

Barry Jones
Homerton College,
University of Cambridge

							New version  11  May,  2000 
GETTING STARTED

To help you explore how the students describe their experiences the interview data has been organised under seven headings or categories.  These are:

Classroom management skills  
Classroom teaching skills
Personal ability to cope
Positive outcomes
Social experiences and cultural differences
Subject knowledge
Support from teachers
  
You can read what each of the students says either by choosing a student's name or by choosing a category.

Here is how you start.  You will need a PC computer with Windows 95 or NT.

• Load the floppy disc

• Go to   My Computer

• Select 3 1/2 Floppy(A:)

• Click on the file shown by a book with the caption Explore

• Read Introduction.

• Click Back  on icon bar.

• Click Index :  	this list shows you the categories  under which the students' comments are
                       	filed and the names of all the French and British students, grouped 			by nationality.  

Try this example first to familiarise yourself with the way the resource works.

Click on Denise under a category  in which you are interested.  Read the few lines of student comment.  

To read the next student's comments click on  students >>.  The symbol >> enables you to go forward from student to student.  <<   enables you to go back.  If you have clicked on  >>   you should have Eleanor's comments on screen.

To go to another category   and read other comments click on  << category   >>.   To move between categories click on  category  >>  to go forward, or << category   to go back. 

The resource will enable you to: 

PROFILE a STUDENT  quickly , or to view all the data available under one HEADING, or category.

PRINTING 

You can at any stage print the text on screen by selecting Print   on the icon bar.

ACTIVITIES

To help you explore the interview data with greater focus  we have set the activities in three broad contexts: 

* Social experiences in England and France
* University in France
* School in UK

These follow the chronology of the students' experiences.

The four student teachers' diaries

There are no activities based on the four student diaries.  These are best read as a whole.  The student teachers who wrote them were also interviewed so diary and interview data can be compared.  The four students are: Claire, Lucy, Sean, and Simone.  

EUROPEAN TEACHER PROGRAMME

STUDENT TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES in FRANCE and ENGLAND  

(STEFE)

ACTIVITIES

CONTEXT:	SOCIAL EXPERIENCES in ENGLAND and FRANCE

Barry Jones
Homerton College,
University of Cambridge

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CONTEXT social experiences in France / UK   ACTIVITY One

FOCUS  dealing with others; attitudes to work and work ethos  

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Read and respond to the task before looking at the interview data

TASK  ONE

Have you had experience of working with someone else on a joint student project? If you have what were the problems, if any?  If not, do you think there would be problems?  

Recognising the danger of making generalisations, do you think the French are more or less blunt than the English?
How would you cope if someone from the other nationality was critical of your personal appearance? 

Do you think French students take their work more or less seriously than English students?  Could there be a reason for this?  Might there be consequences for social relationships?

Now read what Claire says.

Find the name Claire  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Claire . Read what is printed in BLUE.

Would you agree or disagree with what she says?  Would you react as she did?  

For the last point on work ethos compare what Denise and Lucy say (printed in BLUE).  Do you all agree?  Do you see that there could be consequences for you of any differences?  

Click on  >> to find  Denise and the second and third sections of Lucy's comments.

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TASK TWO

We all have different ways of coping in new situations and in new places when we know almost nobody else.  Read what Claire does to meet people. What ways do you have for coping in these kinds of situations?  Are they the same as Claire's?

Find the name Claire  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Claire . Read what is printed in BLACK

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CONTEXT social experiences at university in UK / France  ACTIVITY Two

FOCUS  expectations about others on the course; attitudes to work and work ethos; coping with stress  

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Read and respond to the task before looking at the interview data

TASK

What do / did you expect the other people on the course to be like?  

Recognising the danger of making generalisations, do you think French students work in different ways from English students?  Do you think French students cope with stressful situations in different ways from UK students?  Could there be a reason for this?  Might there be consequences for social relationships?

Now read what Nadine says.

Find the name Nadine  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Nadine .  Read what is printed in BLACK and in BLUE.

Would you agree or disagree with what she says?  Would you react as she did?  How would or do you react in stressful situations?

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CONTEXT social experiences at university in UK / France  ACTIVITY Three

FOCUS  living in a household of French and English students   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Rita  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Rita.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK  

How much do you agree with Rita's views about 

	• dressing up to go out
	• eating 
	• the blunt expression of opinions
	• the ability of the French to enjoy themselves without alcohol
	• the French being more culturally aware?

Are there any surprises?  What differences seem important to you?

Now read what Sally says about living in a mixed French and English household.

Click on  >> to find  Sally.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

How would you deal with the situation Sally describes?  Do you agree with her description of French bluntness and French eating habits? 

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CONTEXT social experiences in UK   ACTIVITY Four

FOCUS  going out in mixed nationality groups   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Sean  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Sean.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK

How much do you agree with Sean's views about  French students'

	• drinking habits
	• attitudes to sex
	• linguistic ability?

Are there any surprises?  

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CONTEXT social experiences in UK   ACTIVITY Five

FOCUS  perceptions of cultural difference, living in a household of French and English students   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Bernadette  in the French group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Bernadette.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK

How much do you agree with Bernadette when she says "the way you perceive cultural differences depends on you"?

Do you believe that her attitude to cultural difference is positive or negative?

Are there any surprises for you in what she describes?   
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CONTEXT social experiences in UK   ACTIVITY Six 

NB This should be done last.

FOCUS  social experiences  

WAY OF WORKING individually, then discuss with others of the same nationality then another nationality

PROCEDURE

Find the name Annette in the British group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Annette.  Continue through all the British group and then read what the French group has to say. Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK  

Read through all the comments of first the British group (starting with Annette) then the French group (starting with Anne-Marie).   

Are there any surprises for you personally?  Are there any situations which you feel you could have dealt with better or less effectively than individual students here?  Pool your impressions.  Work out a way of coping with what you consider to be your own problem areas.  
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EUROPEAN TEACHER PROGRAMME

STUDENT TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES in FRANCE and ENGLAND  

(STEFE)

ACTIVITIES

CONTEXT:	UNIVERSITY in  FRANCE

Barry Jones
Homerton College,
University of Cambridge

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CONTEXT university in France         ACTIVITY One

Note: this should be done first.

FOCUS  advice to other students attending French university classes   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Séverine in the French group of students in the column headed Classroom teaching skills.  Click on Séverine..  Read what is printed in BLACK. 

TASK

Séverine makes a very important distinction between the Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course in the UK and the Maîtrise: Français Langue Étrangère (FLE) course in a French university.

Given the difference describe how you think the content should differ to suit the different publics for whom each is designed.

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CONTEXT university in France         ACTIVITY Two

FOCUS  relationships with other students and the university tutor   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Rita  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Rita.  Read what is printed in BLACK.

TASK 

Are you surprised at Rita's description of French students' expectations about social life at university in France?  She also finds the student-tutor relationship, in her word 'weird'.  If this mirrors your experience how would you react? 

Compare an incident when an English student was very honest with a French tutor.  Was Lucy justified in what she said?

Find the name Lucy  in the English group of students in the column headed  Classroom teaching skills.   Click on Lucy.  Read what is printed in BLACK.

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CONTEXT university in France         ACTIVITY Three

FOCUS  what makes for good university teaching   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the names Annette, Denise  and Rachel  in the English group of students in the column headed Classroom teaching skills.  Click on each in turn.    Read what is printed in BLACK. 

TASK 

List the teaching practices which Annette, Denise and Rachel describe.  What do you consider to be 'good practice' and what do you consider to be 'bad practice'?

What is the role of the tutor and the role of the students in these situations?

Discuss and agree on what a 'good', worthwhile seminar at university might consist of. 

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CONTEXT university in France         ACTIVITY Four

FOCUS  advice to other students attending French university classes   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Nadine in the English group of students in the column headed Classroom teaching skills.  Click on Nadine.  Read what is printed in BLACK. 

TASK

From what you have read so far (Activities One and Two and what you have read  from Nadine) how would you portray French university lectures and seminars?

For other students who will go to lectures or seminars on topics which are new to them (as phonetics was here) what advice would you give them?

Divide your comments into:

			1  what to do before the course starts
			2 what to do during the sessions
			3 what to do after the sessions

Is there a cultural dimension in student-tutor relationships which you think worth mentioning?

Now read what two other students say.  Would you modify your description?

Find the names Bernadette and Francesca  in the French group of students in the column headed Classroom teaching skills.  Click on both.  Read what is printed in BLACK. 

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STUDENT TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES in FRANCE and ENGLAND  

(STEFE)

ACTIVITIES

CONTEXT:	SCHOOL  in  UK

Barry Jones
Homerton College,
University of Cambridge

CONTEXT school in UK   ACTIVITY One

FOCUS  dealing with classroom management problems  

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Find the name Bernadette  in the French group of students in the column headed Classroom management skills.   Click on Bernadette .  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK

List the problems which Bernadette encounters in school. 
How would you cope with the problems she describes?
Do you agree with her when she says ‘not really cultural’?
How would you deal with a child who used bad language? 
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CONTEXT school in UK    ACTIVITY Two

FOCUS developing classroom teaching skills

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Find the name Anne-Marie in the French group of students in the column headed Classroom teaching skills.   Click on Anne-Marie .  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK

How would you define what was meant by  ‘pace’?  
How can you involve pupils?
What would you think of as practical activites for Year 7, Year 9 and Year 11?
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CONTEXT school in UK   ACTIVITY Three

FOCUS  perceived cultural differences; why learn French in school   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Diane  in the French group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Diane.  To make comparisons click on  >> to find Sara.  On both occasions read what is printed in BLUE. 

TASK

Compare what Diane and Sara say about the English.  How much do you agree with their description of English people's geographically isolated attitude?

Are there any surprises for you in what they describe?

How would you answer a pupil in school who asked "why do we have to learn French?"   Agree between you on what you would say.   

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CONTEXT school in UK   ACTIVITY Four

FOCUS  the teacher-pupil relationship in school; hierarchy in school; cultural differences between countries     

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Read and respond to the task before looking at the interview data

TASK

What sort of teacher-pupil relationship do you want as a student-teacher in a UK school?   

Do you think teacher-pupil relationships are different in France and in the UK?  Which situation do you see as preferable?  Why? 

What might be the consequences for a student-teacher of a strong hierarchical  school structure?  

Now compare what you have said with what Jean-Luc describes.

Find the name Jean-Luc in the French group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Jean-Luc.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

 Are there any surprises for you?  How would you deal with the sort of pupils he describes? Do you agree with the strategies he adopts?  Say why.

Can you identify with what he says about the effects of climate on mood?  Do you all agree?

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CONTEXT school in UK   ACTIVITY Five

FOCUS  English attitudes to 'otherness'; English and French class consciousness; laddish culture

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Find the name Lise in the French group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Lise.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK

Do you all agree with Lise's opinion about English children's narrow minded attitudes?  If not, what evidence have you to support your view?  If you do agree, should a teacher try to do something about it?  If so, what, in practical, classroom  terms, would you envisage doing?  Make a list. 

Do you agree with what she says about 'laddish culture'?  Although she says that there seems little evidence of it in school do you agree?  Do you believe boys respond differently to language learning than girls?  Would you agree that some of your lesson content should be specifically focused so that it appeals more to boys? 
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CONTEXT school in UK   ACTIVITY  Six

FOCUS  racist remarks made to a French student-teacher   

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Simone in the French group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Simone.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK

Hopefully it will not occur, but should a child in school makes a racist remark about the French or, even more seriously about a French student-teacher, what would you do?  Discuss these two situations and agree on a strategy to adopt.

What are your reactions to the comment Simone heard on the radio?   Do you all agree with such an attitude to life?    

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