Uncertified Teaching Assistants

Per University policy, Graduate Assistants – Teaching (GATs), Graduate Assistant Instructors (GAIs), Graduate Assistant Lecturers (GALs), and Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs) who are not English language certified (i.e. NOT Level 1) must:

1. Have an intake assessment with the CTE-ELP by the end of the second week of the semester (email cte-elp@tamu.edu to gain access to our appointment calendar)
2. Co-create an Individual Improvement Plan with an ELP consultant
3. Participate in the CTE-ELP program for 5 hours per week, following your Individual Improvement Plan
4. Retake an exam of spoken English

Otherwise, they are ineligible for future teaching assignments.

To begin participating in the CTE-ELP program, TAs should email cte-elp@tamu.edu or call (979) 458-3966, provide their UIN, and explain that they are currently a TA and are not English language certified. They will be given priority over other participants in the program.
 
To begin taking advantage of our services and resources, the TA first schedules an intake assessment - an hour-long interview during which the ELP consultants listen to the TA’s speech to identify the features that are consistent and inconsistent with mainstream North American English. In a follow-up appointment, the TA drafts an improvement plan with help from a consultant by selecting activities aligned to their needs from the menu of CTE services. The TA continues participating in CTE programming until they are able to demonstrate language proficiency on a recognized exam.
 
The CTE-ELP program may communicate with the TA’s department regarding their engagement in programming.
 
Periodically, the consultants assess the TA’s speech and adjust the TA's individual improvement plan as appropriate. The consultant may recommend an appropriate time for the TA to attempt a retest of the ELPE and can even authorize an early retest if the TA has been adhering to their individual improvement plan and has demonstrably improved in oral English proficiency. The opportunity for an early ELPE retest is only for Level 2 students and also excludes any students whose most recent ELPE score is below 75. All others must wait 3 months before retesting.
 
Those who retest and earn a Level 1 score on a recognized exam are immediately English language certified and are no longer required to attend any CTE-ELP programming but are welcome to continue if they wish to do so.