Teaching & Learning

International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)

Online Resources

ITA Communication Strategies
Teaching assistants’ communication tasks are complex and challenging: presenting content material; answering students’ questions; explaining lab procedures; writing, grading, and going over quizzes; coping with disruptive whisperers...the list goes on. International TAs who successfully meet these challenges find that they are rewarded in many ways. Following are some suggestions for and reflections on some of the communication tasks you will be faced with.
http://www.cte.uiuc.edu/Did/Resources/Illini%20Instructor/ITA_Communication.htm

ITA Teaching Tips
As an International Teaching Assistant, you can provide cross-cultural insights, and broaden the scope of thinking of American undergraduates. Both you and your students will have the opportunity to learn unique aspects of a culture other than your own. Your teaching assistantship will present not only added excitement but the added opportunity to practice English communication skills. If teaching in English concerns you, two good general rules are, (1) speak slowly, and (2) repeat and paraphrase to emphasize important ideas. Tell your students to raise their hands when they don't understand what you are saying. They will appreciate your concern, and you will be able to know when they don't comprehend...
http://www.cte.uiuc.edu/Did/ITAs/teachingtips.htm

Resources for ITAs @ Temple University
http://www.temple.edu/ita/resources.htm

Common Questions for ITAs
These listening materials are designed to help you become better acquainted with a variety of typical student questions, common idioms used within them, and fast, reduced speech, a manner of speaking often used by American students. Most of the questions in these materials are generic questions; they could be heard in nearly any class or lab.
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/nonnative/questions/index.html

Teaching Tips for ITAs @ Dalhouse University
1) Be prepared for class. Look up words for pronunciation. Know what you want to say and have a lesson plan set-out. You may not end up following it precisely but it will give you a guide and allow you to walk into the classroom with confidence. You can always practice any presentation you want to give beforehand too...
http://learningandteaching.dal.ca/12itas.html

Books & Publications
Communicate: Strategies For International Teaching Assistants by Jan Smith, Colleen M. Meyers, Amy J.Burkhalter

Teaching American Students: A Guide for International Faculty And Teaching Assistants in Colleges And Universities, Third Edition, 3rd Edition by Ellen Sarkisian

Many faculty and graduate students from other countries expect language difficulties when they teach, but are unprepared for other surprises: different cultures make different assumptions about the academic background of college students, how students learn, the appropriate roles of teachers and students, and even the fundamental purpose of a college education.

The third edition of Teaching American Students explains the expectations of undergraduates at American colleges and universities and offers practical strategies for teaching, including how to give clear presentations, how to teach interactively, and how to communicate effectively. Also included are illustrative examples as well as advice from international faculty and teaching assistants. Appendices offer concrete suggestions on topics from planning the first day of class to grading papers and problem sets. [from Amazon.com]

International Teaching Assistant Handbook: An Introduction to University and College Teaching in the United States by Shirley Ronkowski, Ph.D. With: Margaret McMurtrey, Jiaying Zhuang, and Karen Myers

The roles of teaching assistant and graduate student are very demanding. When the person fulfilling both roles has the added burdens of speaking a foreign language, learning the ins and outs of a new educational system and living in a foreign culture, the dual responsibility of being both teacher and student becomes even more demanding.

To assist you in adapting to your new surroundings, this booklet provides background information about the TA role, the American educational system, various perspectives on American undergraduate students and the perceptions and experiences of international teaching assistants. [From Introduction]

Teaching in the United States: A Handbook for International Faculty and TAs, 2002 by Office of Faculty and TA Development @ The Ohio State University

 

Teaching Matters : Skills and Strategies for International Teaching Assistants by Teresa Pica, Gregory A. Barnes, Alexis Gerard Finger.

 

Discourse and Performance of International Teaching Assistants: Carolyn G. Madden, Cynthia L. Myers, editors.