ELP Services in Detail

 

Classroom Observations	Participants teach in their class/lab while being observed by an English Language Proficiency consultant. Feedback on comprehensibility and student-centered teaching techniques is provided in a later consultation. Current TAs and professors may request this service by emailing cte@tamu.edu.
Private Consultations	Participants communicate their goals for language acquisition and, with the diagnosis and recommendations of English Language Proficiency consultants, create an individual improvement plan. They practice and receive feedback one-on-one. Current TAs and professors, and soon-to-be TAs, may request this service by emailing cte@tamu.edu.
Conversation Partnerships	Through authentic dialogue with a native speaker of English once a week for ten weeks, participants develop fluency and an awareness & appreciation for cultural difference. International graduate students may request this service by emailing cte@tamu.edu.
Microteaching & Videotaping Feedback	Participants practice teaching and giving oral presentations, focusing on clear pronunciation, appropriate body language, effective use of visual aids, engagement with the audience, and confidence. They receive immediate feedback from an English Language Proficiency consultant. International graduate students, undergraduate students, and faculty may request this service by emailing cte@tamu.edu.
Practice Groups	This 10-session workshop series "English Language Proficiency for Instructors" prepares participants for the ELPE and for their teaching assignment. Participants rehearse functional language for instruction; learn to anticipate and repair common communication breakdowns; develop peer support, pronunciation, and fluency; and cultivate an appreciation for cultural differences. International graduate students and professors may register themselves at ers.tamu.edu/cte. If space permits, these workshops are open to international post-docs and visiting scholars as well.
Lunchtime Conversation Circles	Participants converse informally in a small group facilitated by an ELP staff member, on any topic they are interested in discussing. This promotes speaking fluency, listening comprehension, and social small talk. International graduate students, undergraduate students, and professors may register themselves at ers.tamu.edu/cte. If space permits, these workshops are open to international post-docs and visiting scholars as well.
Workshops	Participants develop phonological awareness and an appreciation for linguistic diversity. They identify resources and techniques that meet their individual linguistic needs. International graduate students, undergraduate students, and professors may register themselves at ers.tamu.edu/cte. If space permits, these workshops are open to international post-docs and visiting scholars as well.
Language Laboratory	Participants develop pronunciation accuracy, listening discrimination, understanding of the vocal tract, and automaticity by using American SpeechSounds and other programs. The physical Language Lab is an OAL computer lab in Nagle 305G, which is open most business hours. The Virtual Language Lab (u.tamu.edu/Virtual-Language-Lab) is a shared Google Drive of resources, exercises, and language learning tips, available 24/7. To open it, request access using your TAMU login credentials. You will receive access by the end of the next business day. Both language labs are open to international graduate students, undergraduate students, professors, post-docs, and visiting scholars.

Where We Are

Offices and language lab are located in suite 305 on the third floor of the Nagle Building (NGLE) (https://aggiemap.tamu.edu/?bldg=0506) on main campus. Upon arrival for an appointment, please check in at the reception desk. Workshops are held in various locations on the College Station flagship campus and via Zoom videoconferencing.
 

These requirements apply also to TAs who were granted an emergency deferral of certification. Per OGAPS policy, international graduate students who are not yet language certified (Level 1 or alternatively certified) are permitted to be hired as TAs for one semester only under special circumstances, provided that they meet the following conditions:
 1. Begin participation in the CTE-ELP program with an intake assessment no later than Week 2 of the semester;
 2. Participate in the CTE-ELP program for 5 hours per week, following their Individual Improvement Plan;
 3. Retest and earn a Level 1 score by the end of the semester.
Otherwise, they are ineligible for future teaching assignments.

 The highest score submitted to Texas A&M (not the most recent score) counts.
 
Conditionally-appointed TAs should email cte@tamu.edu or call (979) 458-3966, provide their UIN, and request an intake assessment. In that hour-long interview, the ELP consultants listen to the TA’s speech and identify strengths and weaknesses. In a follow-up appointment, the TA and an ELP consultant co-draft a unique Individual Improvement Plan by selecting services from the menu of CTE programs that best address the TA’s unique language needs, keeping in mind the TA’s preferences and schedule.

The CTE-ELP program may report the TA's adherence to their Individual Improvement Plan but keeps the content confidential. Periodically, the ELP consultants assess the TA’s speech to recommend an appropriate time to attempt a retest of the ELPE. They can even authorize an early retest if the TA has been adhering to their Individual Improvement Plan and has demonstrably improved. Those who retest and earn a Level 1 score are immediately English Language Proficiency Certified and are no longer required to attend any CTE-ELP programming, but are welcome to continue, space permitting.
 

Additional Information

• Additional Resources for English Language Learning
• One-page handout of recommended online resources for international instructors
• OGAPS English Language Certification Policy http://ogaps.tamu.edu/New-Current-Students/English-Language-Proficiency/English-Language-Proficiency-Certification
• ​Testing Services (ELPE) testing.tamu.edu/Exams/ELPE
• Tips for Using Zoom Across a Language Difference