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International TAs

Almost one-half of all TAs at Iowa State come from outside the United States, from countries where English is not the main language or where it is spoken with different pronunciation and vocabulary. As an international TA (ITA), the knowledge of the world that you bring to teaching here adds a special flavor and different perspective to undergraduate education. U.S. classrooms and undergraduates, however, may present unique challenges for you. This website is especially for those who are new to U.S. higher education.

Note: The pdf version of the Teaching Assistant Handbook contains general tips on teaching, grading, and managing the classroom that may also be of use to you.

Language Requirements
Cultural Differences
Finding a Mentor

Language Requirements

If your first language is not North American English, you are required to meet a university-wide English speaking proficiency requirement before your department can assign you teaching responsibilities. Oral proficiency is evaluated by means of two tests, SPEAK and TEACH.

These tests are administered several times each year, shortly before and at the end of spring and fall semesters, and during summer session. Students who do not reach level-1 certification must complete an oral English course before being retested. All prospective international teaching assistants (ITAs) and students who teach as part of their graduate program are required to take these tests, even those who have taken undergraduate course work at Iowa State or another U.S. institution, or who have permanent residency or U.S. citizenship.

The test administration schedule and test details are available from the Graduate College SPEAK/TEACH Program.

Scores from the two tests (SPEAK/TEACH) are combined to give results at four possible levels:

Students with a result of Level-1 are certified to instruct any courses their departments assign them. Those students who are certified at a level lower than 1 may hold teaching assistantships, but their duties are limited according to the level of their test scores until they take the ITA training courses, and then retake and pass the tests.

Modified SPEAK test

In this test, students demonstrate their ability to communicate in general English by answering a variety of question types on different topics during a 20-minute interview, such as giving and supporting an opinion, describing an object, role-playing an everyday situation such as finding out about bus routes and schedules, explaining something from their academic field, and playing the role of a teaching assistant making an announcement to a class. There is no special preparation except that students arrive 10 minutes before their test time to think about their explanation of a topic from their field. The SPEAK interview is audio-recorded.

TEACH

This is a performance test to identify specific communication strengths and problems ITAs may have in a classroom in their fields of study. In TEACH, test takers give a 5-minute presentation on a topic from their academic discipline, as if to an undergraduate class, and then respond to "student" questions for 3 minutes about the presentation or about typical course procedures, such as homework or tests. The "class" generally consists of 2 raters, a test proctor who supervises the room, and a person recording the test performance on a camcorder. To prepare for their TEACH test, ITAs are given an undergraduate topic from their field and textbook material about this topic ahead of time.

Scoring

In both tests:

• Raters give a score in one of seven bands between 0 and 30 for the overall effectiveness and comprehensibility of the spoken language and listening ability (scores are later multiplied by 10)
  
• Generally, raters are not judging the content of ideas, but the way they are expressed: how freely ideas are communicated, how much American English is controlled, and how accurately it is understood and spoken. They also comment on specific strengths or problems, such as listening ability, fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar
  
• Rates score independently i.e. one will not know the score given by another until they have all finished
  
• Individual ratings are averaged. If two raters do not agree within 30 points or across cut-off scores (170 and 220), a third rater will evaluate the recorded test tape.
  
• Both test scores contribute to the final result, reported as a certification level of 1, 2, 3, or Not Certified
  

Test Registration Procedures
Departments and/or students inform SPEAK/TEACH well ahead of time about those who need to take the tests and their preferred test dates. Then, the morning before a test session, students register in person in our office, 1116 Pearson Hall to receive individual test times and the test materials.

Notes: Students can only test once, unless they take an English 180 class. Only graduate students who will have teaching responsibilities or who are currently applying to the Preparing Future Faculty Program (PFF) are eligible for testing.

Test Exemptions
A student is exempted from taking the SPEAK interview test if he/she can document the scores listed for the following tests, by showing the SPEAK/TEACH Program the official score report. (The student would still take the TEACH test unless a TSE of 60, Speaking Band 9 on IELTs, or Speaking 29 on iBT Toefl)

ITA Orientation and Training Courses

An Orientation to the U.S. Classroom workshop is offered for all new ITAs in August and January. This 2 1/2-hour cross-cultural workshop examines the U.S. university classroom in detail, focusing on aspects that may be unique to the U.S. and how effective TAs and graduate students adapt to these aspects. The workshop is led by successful ITAs and faculty experienced in both U.S. and overseas university life. It is organized by the Graduate College SPEAK/TEACH Program and the details are on their website.

The Iowa State University Teaching Seminar, organized by the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, provides two days of training in teaching skills for all graduate assistants during the week before fall semester begins. See the CELT website for the schedule and registration details.

Sections of University Studies 180, the course for ITAs who do not pass the language requirement, are listed in the catalog and schedule under "University Studies" and cross-listed under "English." When SPEAK/TEACH test results are distributed, information about required courses is included. Three levels of 180 are generally offered, and students are assigned the one that best fits their oral proficiency profile. Registration for these courses takes place on the Thursday and Friday before and the first day of spring and fall semesters in the Graduate College SPEAK/TEACH Program (Room 1116 Pearson Hall). These courses can be added only by registering in person in the SPEAK/TEACH Office; they cannot be added through AccessPlus. They are 3-credit courses which do not count towards graduation requirements and are graded on a satisfactory-fail basis. No classes are offered in the summer sessions.

Addressing Language Problems

Your students may have some trouble understanding you, at least in the beginning. Below is a list of suggestions for overcoming this problem:

• Speak slowly until students become accustomed to your accent and way of speaking English. You may be pronouncing sounds differently, stressing different syllables, or omitting sounds at the ends of words. Since your students will be slower at processing your words and sentences, be sure to pause between ideas and thoughts.
• Write down the key terms you will be using on one area of the board and point to each when you first use it.
  On another area of the board, write a brief outline of the topics you will be covering and any relevant textbook page numbers so that students have an overview of the content.
• Look carefully for faces with puzzled expressions as you are speaking, and check to see if your students are following your ideas. You could say "Is that clear?" or "Are you with me?" Wait at least 5-10 seconds before continuing.
• If some students frequently looked puzzled but do not ask questions, speak to them individually after class to find out what their problem is and invite them to visit during your office hours. They may need extra encouragement to ask for clarification and to get to know you well enough so they freely express their uncertainty. They also may need to become used to your way of speaking and you to theirs by one-to-one conversations.

You may have trouble understanding your students as well. By learning why your students' speech is difficult to understand, you can find ways to address the problem:

• The rate of students' speech may seem fast to you because in typical informal speech style, words and phrases are compressed and run together, so it can be difficult to understand the individual words. Your students will probably not know their speech is fast. Explain to them the problem, and ask them to speak to you more slowly.
• Students will probably use informal, colloquial English with slang expressions you have not encountered before. For help with understanding new terms, make friends with other TAs and graduate students in your department. You can also ask the person who used the expression. Many undergraduates are unaware that their English is confusing and unknown in the standard English vocabulary used internationally.
• Often students construct a question indirectly or only formulate it as they are speaking so that it may not be clear what is being asked. Rising intonation may be the only clue that a question has been asked and an answer is required. For example: "So if H over D is approximate, pi over 12 would be okay?"
  • In such cases, it is good to restate the question you think you have been asked e.g., "Are you asking if pi over 12 is approximate?"
• You may be unfamiliar with the culture of the U.S. classroom and the expectations of the students (e.g., the importance of student grades, attendance policies, and extra credit). For help understanding U.S. classroom culture, talk with experienced TAs or faculty from your department. You can attend seminars or workshops on teaching in the U.S. (for example, the international TA seminar described here and on our Services and Professional Development website). You can also find more information on U.S. classroom culture in the Teaching Tips chapter of the Teaching Assistant Handbook.

Beginning of the Semester Strategies

One of the best ways to address language problems is to start early. Confront the communication issue with your class on the very first day and be particularly attentive to building rapport with them over the first month. Give them personal information about yourself and your qualifications to teach this class (for example, your name, where you are from, your purpose in being here, and your background in the subject you are teaching). Explain that you know you will encounter some communication problems until you get used to each others' ways of speaking, but you intend to get over that barrier as quickly as possible and they can help you by speaking up as soon as they do not understand something, even if it means interrupting. Also to help you understand them more easily, you would like them to speak to you slowly and try to avoid slang expressions. Most Iowa State undergraduates have not traveled overseas or had contact with people from other countries. They want to do well in their university studies, yet freshmen generally find the courses a big jump up from their high school in terms of the amount of material to cover and the difficulty level. When they see they have an international TA as a teacher, they may feel the class will be more difficult for them and have a negative attitude. Don't take this personally. It will take the students at least a few weeks to learn to trust your skills as a teacher and communicator and for you to get used to and be more at ease communicating with them. Be very patient and responsive at the beginning of the semester; such behavior will lay a strong foundation for improved communication.

Cultural Differences

You may find that the U.S. classroom or lab operates in an unfamiliar manner and that students behave in puzzling ways.

Many ITAs notice that their undergraduates are not ready to tackle college courses, particularly lower level courses in science and mathematics. Some freshmen and sophomores will have to do a lot of catching up or will drop out of school or change majors after a few semesters. This situation may make your job harder. You cannot assume that these students know some of the basic things that you knew when you entered the university. You may find you need to teach your students how to think about a subject or lead them step-by-step through the solving of problems, as well as teaching them the content. Yet university courses should not be "diluted" to the level of the poorly prepared student. You may have to advise students to contact the Academic Success Center or to form their own study groups outside of class to keep up with course work.

Some of your students will be highly motivated and/or well prepared to learn. Some will be working at one or two jobs in order to earn enough money to stay in school and though motivated will not have a lot of time to study their coursework. Some may not know what they want to study, how to study, or even whether they want to participate in the academic side of college. Extracurricular activities—social events, fraternities, sports, campus organizations, and part-time jobs—may be as important to them as taking courses. This diversity in motivation, as well as preparation, makes teaching more difficult.

U.S. students grow up hearing a lot of praise when they do things well, even simple things like answering a question correctly. You would do well to follow this pattern to build a warm atmosphere in the classroom and to encourage students to volunteer responses to your questions and to be comfortable asking about things during class. "Good job!" and "Way to go!" are some informal phrases of encouragement.

Adjusting to Informality and Asserting Authority

U.S. students behave less formally toward their teachers than students of many other countries. As a new ITA, you may interpret your students' casual dress or snacking in class as signs of disrespect. You may be surprised to be addressed by your first name.

Although you may think that the students do not like you because of their casual attitude, this conclusion is not necessarily true. U.S. students behave this way in classes taught by teachers they like very much as well as by those they do not like. They have been raised to believe in dressing comfortably and grabbing food from a vending machine when they don't have time for a meal. What you may perceive as a lack of respect may be their egalitarian attitude toward authority figures.

Occasionally, ITAs interpret the informality of U.S. students as an indication that "anything goes" in class. Not true. Students who interfere with the normal functioning of the class must not be allowed to behave that way (e.g., talking, reading the newspaper, or putting on headphones when they are supposed to be listening; ignoring safety precautions in the lab; or creating a disturbance so others in the class are distracted). You are within your rights to ask them to either stop what they are doing or leave. If they refuse to follow instructions, tell them you will report them to the course supervisor and then do so. Ask for help in dealing with any discipline problems from TAs and faculty in your department who are experienced teachers.

If you present a confident image as a TA well prepared for the course, you will probably not face many discipline problems. If students see that you have both a good grasp of the subject matter and faith in your ability to teach, they are likely to respect you. If you are organized and can keep them engaged in thinking and participating in the class, they won't have time to create problems.

Developing Rapport

U.S. students expect and appreciate TAs who treat them in a friendly manner (e.g., addressing them by name, smiling, and showing enthusiasm for the class). Students often speak approvingly of teachers who "made the class interesting," which might include occasionally joking with them and using imaginative examples when you are explaining something complex and abstract. Before class begins or when it is finished, you can engage in some "smalltalk." Let students know something about your life; for example tell them you will be celebrating a holiday, or studying all night for an exam. Find out something about your students' lives and use them as resources of information (e.g., ask about current sporting events, TV programs they recommend, where to get the best pizza, or the meanings of customs and idioms).

Learn your students' first names (or nicknames) and something about each, if possible. Because Americans have come from so many other countries, last names may be difficult to pronounce and present a challenge to anyone calling the roll for the first time. Do not spend too much time on last names; at first it may be easier to pass around an attendance sheet for everyone to sign rather than reading names aloud. A seating chart is one way to be able to learn names and to call on students. You can also find pictures of the students in your class on your AccessPlus classlist. Handing back homework assignments is another way to connect names (and awareness of students' abilities) with faces. If you are able to greet your students by name when you see them walking around campus, you may be held in high regard. Students may also realize that you notice when they miss class.

Above all, treat your students fairly and show them you are concerned with how they succeed in your class. Be explicit about test and project dates and how grades are earned and given. Treat their questions as genuine requests for information and not as tests of your knowledge or challenges to your authority; Americans have been raised to ask questions whenever they don't understand something. If their question is off the subject, tell them nicely that you can talk to them later about it instead of taking class time. Avoid sounding angry or defensive, and do not completely ignore the question. If it is something you do not want to answer, you can always say something like "That's a question for another day. Today we have got to stick to the topic of X or we are going to get behind the other sections, and I won't get through all the material you need for the exam."

In the U.S. percentages are generally converted into letter grades as follows:

90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
less than 60% = F

Grade Consciousness

U.S. students are extremely grade conscious. Speaking about an exam normally wakes up the whole class. Not only do they want to know when the tests will be and what material will be covered, they will ask you to describe in detail what they need to study, whether the test will be essay or multiple choice, how it will be graded (how many points for each item, whether they will be penalized for guessing, etc.), and how much time they will have. They will also ask many questions about term papers and homework assignments.

Space and Eye Contact

Americans tend to like lots of personal space. If students keep stepping backward as you talk to them, they may feel you have gotten too close. Don't step forward. Just try to get used to the distance that may seem unnatural to you, but is comfortable for Americans when speaking to each other. Americans also make eye contact with everyone they speak with, and expect others to make frequent eye contact with them. Don't think they are being rude. In fact, failure to make eye contact would lead Americans to suppose the person is not open to communication for some reason, such as avoidance. To be considered polite and a willing communicator, you need to make eye contact with the person you are speaking with.

Sexual Harassment

Many new ITAs who are unfamiliar with male-female relationships in the U.S are concerned about what behavior might trigger a charge of sexual harassment. The Equal Opportunity and Diversity office has full information about relevant policies and advice about offending behaviors.

Also read the section on appropriate TA behavior in the Graduate College Handbook. Be sure to ask your supervisor or fellow TAs about any aspects of policies that are unclear to you.

Ambiguity of the Student-TA Relationship

The relationship between a student and an instructor at a U.S. university is not as clear-cut as in some other cultures. For example, in one class a student may be counting on you to explain the concepts more clearly than the textbook or faculty lecturer has done. Other students will treat you almost as another student—until the first time you give them a grade that they don't like. You may find yourself negotiating and redefining your relationship with your students throughout the whole semester (a situation common to all TAs).

Find a Mentor

One strategy for dealing with language problems and cultural differences is to get acquainted with experienced TAs who can serve as mentors, guiding and interpreting the university culture and language for you while you get acclimated. If one or two of these TAs become your friends, you will be fortunate. But you will continually have to make an effort to meet people; you cannot be shy. For example, you can choose to live in housing that increases the likelihood of meeting other graduate students, join campus and community organizations that allow you to practice your English, and also keep trying to broaden your acquaintances. People at Iowa State and in Ames are generally approachable, and there are lots of people who will be interested in knowing you.

In general, try to view any language problem or cultural difference as an interesting challenge that you and your students can approach with good humor and a cooperative spirit. If your students perceive you as interested, helpful, and friendly, they will tend to overlook most difficulties.

For Additional Advice:

Althen, G. (2002). American Ways: A guide for foreigners in the United States. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
(Available at Ames Public Library)

Althen, G. (1988). American Ways. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
(Available in the ISU Library and Ames Public Library)

Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. (1993). Teaching in America (Video). Cambridge, MA: The President and Fellows of Harvard University.
(Available in the SPEAK/TEACH office, 1116 Pearson)

Sarkisian, E. (1997). Teaching American Students: A Guide for International Faculty and Teaching Assistants in Colleges and Universities. Cambridge, MA: The President and Fellows of Harvard University.
(Available in the SPEAK/TEACH Office)