New England ITA Network
Where is your ITA Program located? (ESL Program, Institute for Teaching,
English Department, etc.)
The ITA Program is located in the English Department, under the sub-section
of English Language Studies which designates courses for non-native speakers.
All ITA courses
are for credit, though non-credit tutoring options are also available.
To whom do you report and from whom do you receive funding?
Funding comes from the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and I report to the
Associate Dean. I also work closely with students in departments outside
of Arts and Sciences, particularly in the schools of Engineering, Pharmacy
and Business.
How many ITAs do you work with in your orientation/testing/classes
in a typical semester?
15-20.
What assessments do you use?
SPEAK Test. TEACH Test (self-designed). Microteaching assignments.
What classes do you offer? (Please give a brief description, if possible,
along with citations of textbooks used)
- ELS 612: Advanced Communication Skills for ITAs. Focuses on pronunciation,
teaching skills, and cross-cultural differences in education. Textbooks
used: Teaching Matters, Well Said, Pronunciation for Success.
- ELS 512: Oral Communication Skills for ITAs. Intensive focus on pronunciation,
listening and speaking skills, and awareness of colloquial American
speech. Designed for students with lower-than-average oral proficiency.
Textbooks
used: Pronunciation for Success, On a Roll, American Ways.
What is the single biggest problem you face?
Communication with departments is an on-going problem. I spend a lot of
time contacting individual people in individual departments because they
largely ignore my attempts to contact them as a group. I think this problem
is exacerbated by the fact that ITA course work is recommended but not
required at URI. Some faculty still consider my program as another hoop
that their students need to pass through, a roadblock which keeps them
from progressing quickly in their studies. I need to be able to convince
them that the ITA program is a real opportunity for professional development,
a chance for ITAs to develop the skills they need to be successful in their
roles as teaching assistants. I am convinced that the language and cross-cultural
skills they develop are important not just during their graduate studies,
but in their future professional lives as well. |
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