The Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) Program is for GTAs, particularly multilingual speakers of English, who have been appointed as teaching assistants or who are interested in becoming a teaching assistant at Lehigh University.
Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Act 76, "English Fluency in Higher Education" (1990), all graduate teaching assistants at institutions of higher education within the Commonwealth must be assessed and certified as English proficiency before assuming instructional duties. The International Center for Academic & Professional English (ICAPE) is responsible for evaluating and assessing all GTAs at Lehigh University, regadless of national citizens or cultural and linguistic background, and for advising the University Provost in filing documentation with the PA Department of Higher Education in Harrisburg.
If you are assigned to, or plan to be assigned to, any of the following, then GTA evaluation and certification for PA State compliance is required: Lecturing a class in English, assisting a professor in a class, facilitating a discussion seminar or recitation session in English, running a laboratory class in English, grading and giving feedback on student assignments in English, emailing students in English, advising students and holding office hours in English.
GTA Program TRAINING & sUPPORT
The GTA program collaborates with CITL as well as the ICAPE free workshops and the ELLA language clinic for additional tutoring to supplement the courses below. The GTA advisor also provides ongoing check-ins and support after completion of coursework so as to ensure ongoing success of the GTA as they begin teaching.
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GTA COURSES:
ESLP 003: Intelligibility and Comprehensibility in English (1 Credit)--OFFERED IN SUMMER
Conversational English, colloquial language and idioms, pronunciation and accent reduction and practice in basic listening skills for an academic setting.
ESLP 004: Advanced Academic Speaking (1 Credit)--OFFERED IN FALL/SPRING
Correct use of grammatical structures in oral English and practice in accurate pronunciation. ESL students will explore the functions of American English in an academic setting.
ESLP 012: Advanced Presentation Skills for Teaching Assistants (1 Credit)--OFFERED IN FALL/SPRING
Development of advanced speaking skills and presentation techniques through a study of formal spoken rhetoric, accent improvement, and presentation skills. For the undergraduate or graduate student seeking formal speech skills and/or for teaching assistants.