The ITA Program offers courses that are required for nonnative English-speaking graduate students who wish to be eligible for a Teaching Assistant position and who have scored under 55 on the SPEAK Test or Test of Spoken English. In GRAD 5102 Preparation for University Teaching for Nonnative English Speakers, students acquire interactive classroom communications strategies through simulated teaching and spoken English instruction. In GRAD 5105 Practicum for University Teaching for Nonnative English Speakers, students explore advanced topics in teaching and classroom communication while teaching actual classes in their disciplines.
Although most students take GRAD 5102 and GRAD 5105 to fulfill the University
of Minnesota language proficiency requirement for TA eligibility, many with
no plans to hold a TA position have found the program's emphasis on accurate,
discipline-specific communication to be an important component of their professional
development during graduate school.
Individual consultations are available to instructors who wish to enhance their spoken language proficiency or discuss strategies for teaching students in the U.S.
