Interviews with Australian university students returning from study in France indicate that problems in accessing crucial information are common experiences and frequently lead to students reproducing stereotypes of French administrative inefficiency. Argues that the issue is not one of information per se, but of cultural differences in the…

This paper examines the sociopragmatic character of intercultural communication between English Language Assistants (ELAs) and their "mentors" in French primary and secondary schools. With reference to Levinson's notion of "activity type", it argues that judgements by mentors as to what constitutes "allowable…