Edinburgh Napier University

  Students from the People's Republic of China are the single largest cohort of international students in Australia, and although attempts have been made to understand their needs and desires in situ, few scholars have considered the recently reformed and highly political Chinese education system itself as a source of understanding. This article addresses that gap, considering two important issues in Chinese education: the positioning and performance expectations of 'Western' English language teachers, and the differentiation between product and process approaches in education in general and language education in particular. These matter to English language course providers in Australia and beyond, as students' expectations may be informed by previously constructed, and often reified, notions of Western teachers' 'authenticity'. In addition, an understanding of the Chinese 'product' approach to education may help teachers and academic managers understand and manage Chinese students' needs and wants. Concrete suggestions and advice are also offered to those working in the classrooms and staff rooms of Australian and other international education providers.