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In this paper we offer an incident that exemplifies one of multiple strategies internationally educated teacher candidates (IETC) use to survive practicum experiences. More specifically, we present an incident that demonstrates teacher candidates' strategic way of using words, such as ‘good’ and ‘fine’, to disguise true feelings about experiences of their teaching placements in schools. We also offer related strategies used by these IETC to negotiate and nurture classroom relations with peers and instructors at the Faculty of Education. Here we argue that within teacher education programmes, especially in the practicum component and other situations that are shaped by it, language is an active force that is used, on the one hand, by associate teachers to control and prevent teacher candidates from changing established norms and values; on the other hand, however, language is used by teacher candidates to defend themselves against being controlled. We present conclusions about this incident drawing from our three years of working with teacher candidates from cultures and languages that are different from and often marginalised by those of the Canadian mainstream. In our discussion, we employ studies in communication and language use to illustrate the complex meaning entailed by this incident.
