English courses for International Teaching Assistants
EAP 4830 – Spoken English for ITAs
EAP 4830 is recommended for international teaching
assistants with a speak score of 40 or below and who are in their first
semester of study at FSU. This class is usually offered in the Fall Semester.
This course is designed to enhance language skills that are
helpful to international graduate students who have just begun their studies at
FSU. For example, students learn conversational strategies for getting
information, giving advice or sharing opinions. Students also practice
communication skills relevant to the ITA experience, such as meeting a student
during office hours or handling student questions and concerns. At the end of
the course, each student is required to give a formal presentation.
EAP 4831 – Advanced
Spoken English for ITAs
EAP 4831 is recommended for international teaching
assistants with a speak score of 45 or above. This is the main training course
for ITAs who need to develop skills for classroom instruction.
This course is designed to help ITAs develop language and
classroom management skills necessary for instruction in a classroom setting.
Cross-cultural aspects of the teaching and learning process and accommodating
different learning styles are also covered. To apply what they have learned in class, students plan and teach a
series of videotaped ‘mini-lessons’ during the semester. They then receive
detailed, personalized feedback on their language and teaching skills from the
instructor during individual conferences.
EAP 4832 - Pronunciation
for ITAs
EAP 4832 is open to
international teaching assistants who wish to improve their pronunciation,
regardless of their SPEAK score.
This course is designed to help students improve pronunciation
and speaking skills so they can become more competent and confident speakers of
English. The course also helps students develop an awareness of specific
pronunciation features that are the most difficult for them. The course
includes a weekly lab session where students do individualized practice and
record speech samples for teacher feedback.
EAP 5860 - Advanced English Practice for International Educators
There are two sections of this class:
1. Grammar-in-Use
for ITAs
This
course is recommended for international teaching assistants wishing to improve
their grammatical accuracy when speaking regardless of their SPEAK score. It is also open to other international
graduate students on campus wishing to improve their English skills. This course is usually offered
in the summer semester.
This course is designed to help international graduate students
improve grammatical accuracy and fluency. In this class students practice
various grammatical structures through a variety of speaking activities. Many of the classroom activities and tasks are
designed to be relevant to the ITA experience on campus, incorporating language
used in interactions with students, colleagues and professors.
2.
Academic Language Skills for Graduate Students
This
course is recommended for international teaching assistants who have a score of
45 and have already taken EAP 4831. It is also open to other international
graduate students on campus wishing to improve their English skills. This course is usually offered
in the spring semester.
This course is designed to help
international graduate students develop speaking and writing skills necessary
for successful communication in their academic programs. During the semester,
students read articles on various topics and practice discussion skills, vocabulary,
and writing skills related to what they have read. At the end of the semester,
each student is required to write a summary and critique of an academic article
and present it to the class.
Note: Not every class is offered each semester. For
more information about the above classes or help in selecting an appropriate
class, please contact Dr. Maria Beatriz Mendoza at mmendoza@admin.fsu.edu.
The above classes are listed through
the
School
of
Teacher Education
.
ITA Program
EAP Courses FAQs
I need to take one of
the EAP classes. Which one is the best for me?
Placement in some classes is based on SPEAK scores. You can follow the guidelines below:
Courses
|
SPEAK Scores
|
EAP 4830 I & II – Spoken English |
40 or below
|
EAP 4831
–Advanced Spoken English & Classroom Training |
45
|
EAP 4832 – Pronunciation |
N/A
|
EAP 5860 I
& II – Advanced English Practice |
N/A (contact instructor) |
If you have any questions, please
contact Dr. Maria Beatriz Mendoza at mmendoza@admin.fsu.edu.
Are all classes
offered every semester?
Some classes are offered every semester. The table below shows the usual schedule for
the academic year. However, this
schedule is subject to change depending on the level and needs of students in
our program. The number of sections
offered also varies.
Fall
|
Spring
|
Summer
|
EAP 4830- I
Spoken English for ITAs -Communication
Skills
EAP 4831
Advanced Spoken English
& Classroom Training for ITAs
EAP 4832
Pronunciation for ITAs
|
EAP 4830 – II
Spoken English for ITAs -
Advanced Communication
Skills (if needed)
EAP 4831
Advanced Spoken English
& Classroom Training for ITAs
EAP 4832
Pronunciation for ITAs
EAP 5860 –
I
Advanced English Practice -Academic
Language Skills for International Graduate Students
|
EAP 4831 (if needed)
Advanced Spoken English
& Classroom Training for ITAs
EAP 4832
Pronunciation for ITAs
EAP 5860 – II
Advanced English Practice -Grammar-in-use
for International Graduate Students
|
I am not a TA. Could
I enroll in one of the EAP classes?
Priority is given to TAs, but graduate students who are interested
in improving their English are allowed to take the EAP classes. Seats are more limited in the Fall, but there are usually more seats available in the
Spring and Summer sessions. If you are
interested in taking a class, please contact Dr. Maria Beatriz Mendoza at mmendoza@admin.fsu.edu.
I am not a TA at the
moment, but may teach in the future. How
can I improve my English?
Do not wait until you are appointed a TA or are offered an
assistantship to work on your English. The sooner you start, the easier it will be to make progress. Try to interact with colleagues and
classmates in English as much as possible, read in English and attend
activities where you have to speak English. If you can, take one of the EAP classes.
SPEAK Test Information ITA Faculty
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