The International
Teaching Assistant Program serves Arizona State University (ASU) academic
departments that employ international students as teaching assistants
and ASU international graduate students who want to become teaching
assistants. The program provides testing services, teacher training
and language support services.
The
SPEAK Test The SPEAK test is the local version of the Test of Spoken English
(TSE), authorized by Educational Testing Services (ETS) and administered
on campus through the AECP. It is an oral proficiency exam. All prospective
ITAs must achieve a score of 55 or higher in order to be certified
to assume full teaching responsibilities, such as serving as the instructor
of a class or leading discussion groups. Students who score 50 will
be certified with qualifications and may serve as lab assistants or
tutors. Students scoring below 50 will not be given any teaching responsibilities
unless they are certified through the ITA seminar.
Rank
Score
Responsibility
Certification
55
Full
teaching capacity
Certification
(with qualifications)
50
Limited
teaching; e.g. lab teacher
Not
Certified
45
ITA
seminar and/or ESL classes
The SPEAK test
emphasizes communicative ability. In the test, students respond to
questions on an audio cassette tape, and their responses are recorded.
The test questions are of a general nature and inform the raters about
the examinee's oral communicative ability. Each test question elicits
a particular function, such as reading a town map and giving directions
or interpreting graph information. Each test is scored independently
by two raters who take into account all communicative competencies.
The AECP provides at least 18 opportunities a year to take the SPEAK
test (four in January and August and one all other months). Scores
are provided to deans, chairs, and graduate advisors.
Important
Notes The SPEAK test fee is$48. This
fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable. SPEAK
tests may NOTbe
rescheduled. Registration for the SPEAK test opens at 8:30
a.m. one week
before the scheduled test date and closes two hours before the test
time. The SPEAK test is available for ASU students only. Students must register for the Speak test in person with an ASU photo ID.
The number of seats is limited; early resistration is recommended.
Examinees need to register in person. Registration
takes place at Engineering Center Annex, room 101.Please
bring an ASU photo IDand $48 to
registration at the Engineering Center Annex, room 101.
Scores will be reported to departments in five working
days.
ITA
Seminar The ITA Training Seminar is a no-fee course offered to international students who are candidates for a teaching assistantship. The seminar is a non-credit semester long course which addresses language improvement, teaching skills and cross-cultural training.
In order to enroll,
qualified students must have scored at least 40 on the SPEAK test
or the Interview Test, and they must present a letter from their
department
stating that they are a candidate for a TA position. Qualified
students may enroll for classes at the beginning of the fall and
spring semesters
in the Engineering Center Annex, room 203 . map
During the semester,
each student is required to prepare at least four videotaped micro-teaching
presentations which are evaluated by the instructor during tutorial
sessions. At the end of the semester, a final video-taped presentation
is used as an evaluation instrument by a panel of language and pedagogical
experts. Full certification by the panel is equivalent to a score
of 55 on the SPEAK test, and a rating of certified with qualifications
is equivalent to a score of 50. Those students who do not receive
the above ratings are not certified and may retake the SPEAK test
or enroll in one AECP eight-week
intensive English class.
Registration
Information Requirements Qualified students must:
1. Have taken the SPEAK test or the Interview Test and have scored at least 40
2. Present a letter from his/her department which states that the student is
considered to be a candidate for a TA position
3. Present a current ASU schedule of classes
Registration
Qualified students may enroll for classes for the Spring 2008 semester
at AECP in the Engineering Center Annex, room 203. map
ITA
Seminar Schedule (SPRING 2008) Section A Meets Mondays 6:05 - 8:55 p.m. and Wednesdays 6:05 - 8:55 p.m. (The first class meeting is Wednesday, January 23, in Computing Commons, room 227.)
Section B Meets Tuesdays 5:40 - 8:30 p.m. and Thursdays 5:40 - 8:30 p.m. (The first class meeting is Tuesday, January 22, in ECG G, room 347.)
The
Interview Test The ITA program conducts a brief
Interview Test appointment for potential ITAs whose English is of
near-native proficiency. This
is
defined as 55 or above on the SPEAK test. Students who have taken
the SPEAK test are not eligible for Interview Test appointments.
The Interview Test questions are the same as those found in the SPEAK
test.
Procedure For Interview Test Appointments 1. The department fills out the Interview
Test Permit to Register form and gives it to the eligible student.
2. The student
brings the form to the Admissions secretary in the Engineering Center Annex. The secretary prepares a receipt for test payment
(a photo ID is required at the time of registration). The test
fee
is $48.
3. The student
takes the receipt to the cashier's office on the second floor of
the Student Services Building and pays the $48
Interview
Test fee.
4. The student
returns to AECP (Engineering Center Annex) with a copy of the (paid) receipt
and gives it to the Admissions secretary.
5. The secretary
schedules the Interview Test appointment (three days in advance).
6. The student
returns to the Engineering Center Annex at the scheduled time for the interview.
Students who
have taken the TSE/SPEAK test are not eligible for Interview Test
appointments.
