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This article aimed to explore the academic language proficiency of a cross-sectional sample of teacher education students at a Johannesburg university.Setting: This study took place at a South African university that implements a universityaccredited primary school teacher education qualification. The university is located in an urban area, but attracts students from both urban and rural contexts.Methods: Students' test scores on a core academic language skills instrument were utilised as data for this study, with descriptive and inferential statistical analyses procedures used to make sense thereof.Results: Findings from a cross-sectional analysis between first-and second-year students' scores indicated that students' academic language proficiency does not appear to improve after their initial year of study. Conclusion:The article concludes with a discussion of the implication hereof for teacher education and for the profession.

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Background: Given the poor academic performance in many schools and the inequality in learning outcomes, there is an urgent need to improve teaching and learning in South African schools. Recognising the importance of preparing pre-service teachers to guide and support learning in varying schools in South Africa, we piloted a course in 2020 in which we taught final-year pre-service teacher education students a new way of designing lessons. The lesson design approach foregrounded learning.Aim: The study aimed to address the question ‘What are pre-service teachers’ views on how the course prepared them for teaching?’.Setting: The study took place in the Department of Childhood Education at a South African university.Methods: The study followed an interpretive research approach. To generate data for the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 pre-service teachers at the end of the academic year. In addition, I conducted stimulated recall interviews on lessons that the pre-service teachers designed.Results: The results indicated that the pre-service teachers viewed learning about the science of learning and competencies for a fast-changing world as valuable to enrich their teaching. Despite being aware that they still had some gaps in their understanding of some teaching strategies, the results showed that pre-service teachers valued the strategies they learned in the course.Conclusion: Based on the findings, I conclude that the knowledge the pre-service teachers gained from the course has provided them with a sound basis to guide and support learning in varying school contexts.