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Resources for International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)

Online Resources

ITA Communication Strategies- Student Slang
This list includes slang terms and phrases that you might hear from your American students in the classroom.  Note that many of these sayings are too informal for you to use in speaking to students.
http://www.biostat.jhsph.edu/research/TAtraining/slang.pdf

ITA Handbook
The roles of teaching assistant and graduate student are very demanding. When the person fulfilling both roles has the added burdens of speaking a foreign language, learning the ins and outs of a new educational system and living in a foreign culture, the dual responsibility of being both teacher and student becomes even more demanding. This handbook offers helpful advice.
http://oic.id.ucsb.edu/international-ta-handbook/introduction

ITA Teaching Tips
Teaching in a foreign country using a second language can be a challenging experience. The expectations of American students, methods of organizing material, and classroom format can be very different from what you have been accustomed to in your native country. With these issues in mind, the following sections of teaching tips may be helpful to you as a GTA: 1) communication skills for the classroom, 2) asking others for assistance, 3) improving your spoken English, and 4) additional resources.
http://eli.uta.edu/ITA Program/Teachingtips.pdf

Teaching Tips for ITAs from Dalhouse University
Be prepared for class. Look up words for pronunciation. Know what you want to say and have a lesson plan set-out. You may not end up following it precisely but it will give you a guide and allow you to walk into the classroom with confidence. You can always practice any presentation you want to give beforehand too. For more tips like this, click below.
http://learningandteaching.dal.ca/12itas.html

Books & Publications

Dealing with Communication Problems in the Instructional Interactions between International Teaching Assistants and American College Students by Shiao-Yun Chiang

Communicate: Strategies For International Teaching Assistants by Jan Smith, Colleen M. Meyers, Amy J.Burkhalter

Teaching American Students: A Guide for International Faculty And Teaching Assistants in Colleges And Universities, Third Edition by Ellen Sarkisian

Many faculty and graduate students from other countries expect language difficulties when they teach, but are unprepared for other surprises: different cultures make different assumptions about the academic background of college students, how students learn, the appropriate roles of teachers and students, and even the fundamental purpose of a college education.

The third edition of Teaching American Students explains the expectations of undergraduates at American colleges and universities and offers practical strategies for teaching, including how to give clear presentations, how to teach interactively, and how to communicate effectively. Also included are illustrative examples as well as advice from international faculty and teaching assistants. Appendices offer concrete suggestions on topics from planning the first day of class to grading papers and problem sets. [from Amazon.com]

International Teaching Assistant Handbook: An Introduction to University and College Teaching in the United States by Shirley Ronkowski, Ph.D. With: Margaret McMurtrey, Jiaying Zhuang, and Karen Myers

To assist you in adapting to your new surroundings, this booklet provides background information about the TA role, the American educational system, various perspectives on American undergraduate students and the perceptions and experiences of international teaching assistants. [From Introduction]

Teaching in the United States: A Handbook for International Faculty and TAs, 2002 by Ohio State University

Teaching Matters: Skills and Strategies for International Teaching Assistants by Teresa Pica, Gregory A. Barnes, Alexis Gerard Finger.

Discourse and Performance of International Teaching Assistants: Carolyn G. Madden, Cynthia L. Myers, editors.