Courses
16:356:590 – Foundations of Teaching Assistant Communication in the United States (3 Credits)
This three-credit (P/F) graduate course provides the foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills needed for graduate students who speak English as an additional language to successfully perform duties as teaching assistants in their respective departments. Students will be introduced to conventions and expectations of the U.S. classroom, diverse teaching methodologies, and the linguistic, rhetorical, and cultural components of effective U.S. English communication. This course is a requirement for graduate students who have been awarded a teaching assistantship and who do not have the proficiency level required by the School of Graduate Studies. Successful completion of 16.356.590 and 16.356.591 are required for SGS certification as an international teaching assistant.
16:356:591 – Teaching Assistant Seminar and Practicum (3 Credits)
This three-credit (P/F) graduate course prepares graduate students who speak English as an additional language to successfully perform duties as teaching assistants in their respective departments. In this course, students will further develop their understanding of conventions and expectations of the U.S. classroom, standards of quality teaching within the disciplines, and the linguistic, rhetorical, and cultural components of effective U.S English communication. Students will engage in instructional tasks in their respective departments, appropriate to their level of TA experience, with supervision from their course instructor. Throughout the course, students will conduct inquiry-based research into the areas of Planning and Instruction, Assessment and Evaluation, and Instructor-Student Communication in their respective disciplines. Successful completion of this course is a requirement for graduate students who have been awarded a teaching assistantship and who do not have the proficiency level required by the School of Graduate Studies for certification as an international teaching assistant.
Assessment of English Proficiency
The Graduate English Language Learners Program, in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies, requires that graduate students awarded a teaching assistantship take the Versant English Placement Test (VEPT). The VEPT is a computer-based English language assessment that measures proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The VEPT assigns scores along the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a globally recognized English proficiency scale, and generates a detailed report.
Please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to set up an appointment to speak with a RELI advisor about your needs and goals as a teaching assistant.
Questions about Teaching Assistant Instruction, Assessment, and Resources?