http://wjel.sciedupress.com World Journal of English Language Vol. 13, No. 2; 2023 Published by Sciedu Press 224 ISSN 1925-0703 E-ISSN 1925-0711 Rural Support Experience of Student-Teachers in South Africa: The Need for Supportive Infrastructures and Language Teaching Bunmi Isaiah Omodan 1 , & Bulelwa Makena 2 1 Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa 2 Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa Correspondence: Bunmi Isaiah Omodan, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. Received: September 11, 2022 Accepted: October 12, 2022 Online Published: February 14, 2023 doi:10.5430/wjel.v13n2p224 URL: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v13n2p224 Abstract Rural communities in South Africa have various inadequacies and a lack of social support systems for the people and their inhabitants. Experiences and observations showed that the majority of the student-teachers in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa undergo their teaching practice activities in one or two rural locations, which led to many of them having to suffer from a lack of support and social amenities in their place of teaching practice. This study explores student-teachers experiences, ranging from the challenges and opportunities available for them during the program. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach was used to underpin the study. The study falls within the transformative paradigm, and participatory research was used to design the study. Convenient sampling was used to select ten student-teachers posted to rural locations for their teaching practice within the Eastern Cape province. Reflection was used to elicit data from the participants, and the data were analysed thematically. The study found that inadequate resources and social amenities, and language barriers are challenges encountered by the student-teachers. The study also found that the provision of supportive infrastructures and the intensification of Language teaching is imminent among rural learners. Hence, the study concludes with recommendations for the provision of supportive infrastructures and the intensification of language teaching as solutions to assist student teachers in rural teaching practice. Keywords: rurality, rural support experience, student teachers, ABCD, Transformation 1. Introduction Inadequacies and lack of social support systems are prevalent in South Africa's rural communities. The challenges that the people of these rural areas face are many and varied, but some of the most pressing issues include access to clean water, education, health care, and employment (Hove et al., 2019; Edokpayi et al., 2018; Vergunst et al., 2017). These challenges are compounded by the fact that these communities are often located in remote areas, far from urban centres where these services are more readily available. As a result, the people of rural South Africa often suffer from poverty and social exclusion (Burger et al., 2010; Du Toit, 2004). While there have been some efforts to address these issues, much more needs to be done to improve the lives of the people living in these communities because these communities have often been seen as places to be avoided. However, there is now a growing recognition of the potential that these communities have to offer. This is particularly true in the field of agriculture. With the right support, rural communities have the potential to become centres of excellence for agricultural production and provide a much-needed boost to the economy (Qin et al., 2022). In addition, providing the right support could help break the cycle of poverty and crime that has been so damaging to these communities (Obi et al., 2012). The Compulsory Teaching Practice (CTP) is a key component of teacher education in South Africa. Under the CTP, student teachers are placed in schools where they are observed and assessed by their university lecturers. The CTP is mandated by the Department of Education and must be passed in order to qualify for teacher certification (Heeralal & Bayaga, 2011; Leke-ateh et al., 2013). Although the CTP is compulsory, it has come under criticism from some quarters. One of the main problems with the CTP is that it is often conducted in an environment with little resemblance to the actual working conditions of a teacher. This can make it difficult for student teachers to transfer what they have learned during the CTP to their future classrooms. In addition, the CTP can be stressful and time-consuming, which can detract from the overall quality of the teacher education programme (Boadu, 2014). Despite these criticisms, the CTP remains an important part of teacher education in South Africa, and it continues to play a vital role in preparing future teachers for the challenges they will face in the classroom. The researchers‟ experiences show that most of the student-teachers in the Eastern Cape province undergo their teaching practices in one or two rural locations, which led to many of them having to suffer from a lack of support and social amenities during the programme. These difficulties included a lack of essential resources such as water and electricity and inadequate transportation and communication infrastructure (Khumalo & Mji, 2014). As a result, many student-teachers could not cope with their teaching practice activities or were forced to remain in the place until the appointed time (Mukeredzi & Mandrona, 2013). This could have a negative impact on their studies,