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 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 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.

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 .