Studies and internships of Applied Linguistics

postgraduate students at the University of

Melbourne

Min Tan 880179

Wenxuan Pang 987160

27/10/2019

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Executive summary

This report introduces the studying and internship experiences of two postgraduate students

majoring in Applied Linguistics (in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences)

at the University of Melbourne. The purpose is to find out their improvements in various

abilities, their feelings about their studies and internships as well as their tips for prospective

students. Semi-Structured interviews were used to collect relevant information. We found that

the improvements in academic abilities (e.g., English academic abilities, research abilities),

professional skills (e.g., specialist knowledge, language teaching skills) and some general skills

(e.g., networking, time-management) were the most satisfying achievements for both

interviewees, which happened during their semesters in the University and their internships in

schools. The two students also believed that their overseas studying experiences benefited them

in knowing more lifestyles and career options, which enriched their lives significantly.

However, there are unavoidable challenges and difficulties in both studies and internships.

Based on the interview contents and the University’s Handbook website, recommendations for

future students in terms of studying, managing social relations, and finding internships are

given. We hope this report can provide useful information for future students and help them to

make full use of their living experiences in Melbourne.

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Table of contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Table of contents ................................................................................................................................................. 2

1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Findings ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

2.1 Participants ....................................................................................................................................... 3

2.2 Academic Abilities ........................................................................................................................ 4

2.3 Professional Skills ........................................................................................................................ 5

2.4 General Skills .................................................................................................................................. 6

3. Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 8

3.1 On Study ............................................................................................................................................ 8

3.2 On Social Life ................................................................................................................................. 9

3.3 On Internship ................................................................................................................................... 9

4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................... 10

References ............................................................................................................................................................ 11

Appendices .......................................................................................................................................................... 12

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1. Introduction

According to the 2019 handbook on the official website of the University of Melbourne ,

students who complete master of Applied Linguistics should gain intended learning outcomes

such as handling with research problems independently or cooperatively, attain professional

skills such as developed awareness of cultural diversity and owning highly sense of time

management, and acquire general skills such as being internationally open-minded and

efficiently well-communicative. Based on the requirements of the students, this report has

interviewed two students from the same discipline who have accomplished their internships as

being language teachers and investigated how they connect the university life with their careers

to successfully find their internships. Additionally, this essay aims to give students who are

going to seek internships suggestions in the academic field, social life and internship domain.

We hope this report can help new students to adjust to the environment quickly and better cater

to the university requirements and social rules.

2. Findings

2.1 Participants

The two interviewees were Mia and Bella (pseudonyms), who were postgraduate students in

Applied Linguistics and were both in TESOL stream. They finished their undergraduate studies

in China, with Mia majored in English and Bella majored in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of

Other Languages. They were both in the third semester in their two-year master program in

Melbourne. During their first summer vacation (November 2019 to February 2019), Mia came

back to China and worked as an intern middle school English teacher in New Oriental School,

while Bella stayed in Melbourne and became a Chinese intern teacher in New Chinese

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Language and Culture School.

2.2 Academic abilities

The improvement in academic abilities, as Mia and Bella reported, is their most significant

achievement in their studying experiences at the University of Melbourne. They both finished

their undergraduate study in China, where their academic abilities were trained mainly in

Chinese. Therefore, using academic English properly in conducting research and writing papers

were enormous challenges for them.

Mia had previous experience in writing English papers, as her major was English in China.

Nevertheless, after coming to Australia, she found differences in the rules of writing academic

papers as well as the higher standards in using English for study. For example, she learned to

search for relevant previous literature with high qualities by using professional online platforms

and databases; she began to design her research questions and apply proper structures to her

papers; she learned various methods and principles in conducting research and collecting data

in her field; she also noticed the special language features that should be mastered in academic

papers. For her, improvements in using academic English and doing research was the most

satisfying thing in her study.

Bella was not as lucky as Mia in having previous academic writing training, because she

majored in ‘Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages’ in China. In her first semester

in Melbourne, she took a subject called Presenting Academic Discourse, which she thought

was extremely helpful. Her English writing abilities and researching skills were trained

systematically in this subject. Bella also mentioned her improvement in academic oral English.

Some subjects she took had presentation and participation in class as assessments, which

required her to practice academic English in class. The lecturers and peer students gave

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guidance in making academic presentations and encouragements for in-class discussions. After

one and a half year’s study, she was satisfied with her improved academic abilities.

2.3 Professional Skills

As students in TESOL stream in Applied Linguistics, the two interviewees believed that their

language teaching abilities were improved significantly during their studies and internships.

Their interview skills, communicating skills with students and parents and some other

professional skills were also developed.

In compulsory subjects like Second Language Acquisition, Mia learned the traditional and new

language teaching theories and concepts, and she also had chances to criticize or prove the

theories by reviewing literature or conducting research herself. As she mentioned, the subjects

offered in the master program enabled her to build a theoretic foundation in her field and

prepare her for future language teaching jobs.

Some subjects helped students to know more about the modern workplace and help them to

find satisfying internships and jobs. Bella mentioned subjects like Professional Speaking

Communication and Professional Literacies, in which the differences between school and

workplace (including writing styles and speaking manners) were introduced. Bella also had

chances to practice job interviews in these classes, where interview skills in doing self-

introductions and answering HR’s questions were offered. She believed that these professional

subjects were crucial in preparing her to find internships and enter the real workplace after

graduation.

On the other hand, the two internships offered Bella and Mia opportunities to combine the

educational theories they learned with teaching practices. During Mia’s internship, she needed

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to prepare all the learning and teaching materials for students, including handouts, powerpoint

slides, examination papers and personal study plans. Mia, as a Chinese intern teacher in

Melbourne, also needed to design her teaching plans properly, with adequate contents and

practice prepared for each class.

The internships also benefited the interviewees in improving other significant professional

skills. They learned to communicate with teenage students, young children and their parents

appropriately. Bella also decided to be a lifelong learner because multiple-model skills can

enrich language teachers' teaching techniques. For instance, she was learning Chinese painting

and calligraphy so that these skills can be used to enrich her classes.

Picture 1 and 2: Bella’s Chinese class in the New Chinese Language and Culture School

2.4 General skills

Coming from a monolingual culture background, both interviewees said study life in

Melbourne Australia was colourful and out of their expectations. However, internship as a

teacher in the society was more challenging, especially for Bella.

Adapting to new environments is the first step when coming to a new country. Studying aboard

gives them not only a master certification but also a kind of ability that wherever they are, they

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have enough confidence to live an independent life. Comparing to the Chinese society where

closely social associations are emphasized, Australians are more inclined to highlight the

independence or freedom as an individual. Therefore, according to Mia, time management is

significant when studying, living and working alone. She had a strong belief to reach a goal

and was highly responsible when she needed to hand in her assignments or work as an intern

teacher. Mia and Bella both used tools like daily and weekly planners or mobile phone apps to

allocate their time and schedules.

Furthermore, in Australia, where people are from various backgrounds, the way Mia and Bella

think has been changed. Firstly, having gone through two different educational modes, their

awareness of critical thinking has been improved. For example, teachers in Asian schools

usually offer students a standard answer for a question but studying in the university of

Melbourne especially in the Applied Linguistics in arts faculty requires students to keep a

dialectical attitude without judging things casually. Secondly, because of the overseas

experience, they often compare the different study, life and thinking styles, and rationally

consider and differentiate which aspect is more suitable for them to learn in a globalized

situation.

As Bella mentioned, she found her internship thanks to the recommendation from her senior

sister in the same university, so building her interpersonal networking did help her to gain this

intern opportunity. Even though collaborative work with colleagues was challenging, teaching

young children Chinese was interesting for her. Comparing to Bella, Mia generally got used to

reviewing online websites to gain information related to volunteers, internships, workshops

and lectures for job guidance. In the process of attending these activities, she also met new

faces and was exposed to fresh ideas such as novel teaching methods and attractive lifestyles.

During the internships, she thought that showing respects to students and being patient were

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critical when dealing with the relationship between teachers and students. In conclusion, she

had a sense of satisfaction and felt fulfilled as an English teacher.

3. Recommendations

Based on the interview contents with the two postgraduate students and the information from

the University’s Handbook website, some valuable recommendations for future students in this

major are given.

3.1 On study

Improve academic abilities is the primary job for postgraduate students. Please focus on your

academic performance and always try to do your best. Attending all the lectures and seminars

instead of listening to recordings afterwards can be helpful.

Choose your subjects smartly. Refer to the university's Handbook to learn the details of each

subject and turn to senior students for their suggestions. Subjects about your academic field,

professional workplace and transcultural communication are recommended.

Never hesitate to ask for help from your teachers. New students, especially international

students, can meet various kinds of difficulties in their studies. The teachers are all friendly and

professional, and you can contact them through emails, phone calls or meetings for

clarifications of assignments or other difficulties.

Remember to finish your assignments before the due date. Start earlier and don’t wait till the

night before the due date to start, which can ensure that your work is in high quality and you

have enough time to revise and improve it.

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3.2 On social life

Take part in school and social activities. As a member of the University of Melbourne, apart

from the accomplishment of coursework, joining into activities is essential. Activities function

as the best method to develop an individual’s awareness of teamwork. These activities (e.g.

sports competition, debate contest) are significant components of university lives, enabling the

students to develop collaborative workability which is a critical soft power in the workplace.

The activities such as volunteers or social practices can also combine the theory learnt in school

with the practices in society, guiding students to know the value of devotion and leading

students to get adapted to the social environments.

Build your networking. The essence of networking is the exchange of values, and even two

intimate friends are based on satisfying each other’s emotional needs. Therefore, if you plan to

build substantive and helpful networking, you should be armed with values and be positive to

present them to people.

3.3 On internships

Make the best of internship seeking channels such as mobile apps or online websites and

university career resources. The university offers opportunities for finding internships and jobs.

For example, students can attend lectures in the faculty and workshops in stop 1 to revise job-

related materials such as resume and get trained for job interviews.

Design your career path as early as possible. Setting career goals is important so that you

have an adequate direction to make efforts for. For example, if you plan to be a teacher as these

two interviewees, you would better set a motivation such as getting a stable income or fulfilling

the sense of responsibility when imparting knowledge to students. However, without social

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experiences, most people don't know which industry they are willing to engage in. The master

program offers more thoughts on job choices, so think and choose what you like. Luckily, you

can even set up your own business.

Pay attention to job advertisements and arm yourself with the skills required for the selected

criteria. Apply for internships in advance, and if you fail, look for the underlying reasons and

improve yourself accordingly. Meanwhile, ask your teachers, friends, families and even

psychologists for help if you feel depressed or disappointed after receiving refusal letters.

Be careful of time planning. Students can develop technical skills like using software (e.g. excel)

or taking e-notes on iPad. Additionally, tools like schedule reminder and routine calendar

enable you to have a good grasp of time progress.

4. Conclusion

This report presented the study and internship experiences of two postgraduate students in

Applied Linguistics at the University of Melbourne. They were both in TESOL stream and had

been English or Chinese intern teachers during their studies. By conducting interviews, their

methods of improving academic abilities, professional skills and some general skills were

elicited, and the benefits of their improvements were discussed. Then, recommendations for

future students in this major in their studies, social life and internships were presented.

We hope this report can help provide reliable information for prospective students, guiding

them to make full use of their postgraduate experience in Melbourne and helping them to find

satisfying internships.

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Reference

Master of Applied Linguistics (MC-APLING). (2019, October). Retrieved from

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/2019/courses/mc-apling

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Appendix 1 – Interview questions

1. Demographic information: Name, Age, Gender, Country of origin, Time living in

Melbourne, Degree enrolled in

About study:

2. Why did you choose the University of Melbourne?

3. Why did you choose this major?

4. What's your original expectation for university life? How did it change?

5. What are the three most significant achievements that you have made in your studies?

6. What're your suggestions for future students in their studies?

About the link between study and internship:

7. What are the job options for the students in your major? Have your job expectations

changed after studying in UniMelb?

8. Which subjects in your master program did you choose that you think are crucial for your

internship?

9. How do you think of the University of Melbourne in terms of helping you decide your

future career and find jobs?

10. How do you think of the influence of networking in UniMelb on your internship?

11. Will you stay in Australia or come back to your country after graduation?

About internship:

12. Have you done an internship, and how did you find it?

13. What's the general feeling about your internship? Do you like it? Can you give an example?

14. What are the three biggest challenges you met as an intern there, and how did you handle

them?

15. What are the three most prominent achievements of you from this internship? (e.g. skills,

life attitudes, time-schedule ability)

16. What do you think is the connection between your internship and your future career? Will

you follow the same career after graduation?