International Teaching Assistants
The goal of the English Programs for International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) is to provide ITAs with the skills they need to be effective oral communicators in the classroom. The instructional focus is primarily on clear communication and pronunciation skills for the classroom.
Course
While tuition assistance benefits will often cover the full tuition costs for ITAs in UMEI 506, programs are still responsible for any additional cost burden UMEI 506 presents to students (e.g., 10-hr TAs taking more than 5 credits; 20-hr TAs taking more than 10 credits). Programs are not responsible for any additional fees that might be incurred by the student due to either of these courses, but are encouraged to help with those costs as well. Programs shall provide the necessary funds directly to student accounts for affected students.
Clearance to Teach
At the end of the semester, ITAs are exempted from further language support and fully cleared to teach by successfully attaining a grade average of 75% in UMEI 506. Candidates who do not pass the course may take another semester of UMEI 506.
A Note to Departments
Appointed ITAs who have already achieved certain scores on the speaking subsections of the TOEFL or IELTS tests can now be cleared for teaching without needing to be tested by MEI. To be exempt from testing, the ITA must have achieved a score of 24 or higher on the Speaking sub-section of the TOEFL, or a score of 7.5 or higher on the Speaking sub-section of the IELTS, or a score of 80 or higher on the speaking subsection of the PTE.
Please complete the referral form to include the names of appointed ITAs who either meet the requirements for exemption from UMEI 506 or needs permission to take the course. MEI will verify the ITAs’ test scores in their SIS records and enter the teaching clearance.