MSU Policy Affecting International Teaching Assistants

The English Language Center conducts applicant screening interviews via Skype and Zoom jointly with senior representatives from participating academic units. The aim of these interviews is to determine the likelihood of the applicant passing the MSU Speaking Test upon arrival on campus (or if tested remotely). The applicant must meet the English language proficiency requirement for full admission to be eligible for this screening.

The screening interview takes place between the applicant, a faculty member from the applicant's academic unit, and a representative from the English Language Center. During the interview, the faculty member asks the applicant about their background and research interests, and then the ELC representative asks a few general questions. After the screening, the ELC will describe the applicant's performance in one of three ways:

1. Likely to achieve a 50 or higher on the MSU Speaking Test
2. Might achieve a score of 50 or higher on the MSU Speaking Test
3. Unlikely to achieve a score of 50 or higher on the MSU Speaking Test.

The interview typically takes place over Zoom or Skype, and the cost of the screening interview is $10 per student, paid directly from the academic unit to the ELC representative.

Departments/units may obtain more information and request this service by sending an email to testing@elc.msu.edu.

To be eligible to take the MSU Speaking Test, students must have regular admission and proof of TA status as well as the approval of their departments. When department representatives approve test requests, they are confirming that the student meets all of the eligibility criteria spelled out in this policy (fully admitted, has a TA-ship, and is required to take the test).

Policy for retaking the MSU Speaking Test or the ITAOI Exam

Students who do not receive a score of 50 or higher on the MSU Speaking Test may opt to retest, but they are not permitted to retest within two months of a previous test (including the ITAOI exam). Students with an MSU Speaking Test score of 40 or 45 are also eligible to enroll in ITA support courses AAE 451 or 452.

If a student who has signed up for an ITA speaking test (either the MSU Speaking Test or the ITAOI exam) has already taken a total of 6 tests and not earned a score of 50 or higher, there are 3 considerations to be aware of:

1. Students who have taken 6 or more tests are required to document steps they have taken to improve their spoken English before they can test again. Such steps must focus specifically on spoken English and may include formal tutoring or language support class(es). 
   • Two such support courses are provided by the ELC's ITA Program (AAE 451 and 452). This documentation must pertain to efforts to improve spoken English during the same semester in which the student is to be retested (or at the very end of the preceding semester if the test is to be given at the beginning of a semester).
2. Departments should be aware that many teaching assignments can be approved by the Appeals Committee even if a student never scores 50 on the test (e.g., assignments that involve holding office hours, working with students in small groups in labs or in recitation sections, or teaching a larger group in a lab or recitation session in which no new material is introduced). Departments may request an appeal for any student who scores 45. 
3. If the student receives formal language support, retests and still does not qualify for a TA position, departments should set a realistic goal for this student and discuss contingency plans. (e.g., research position, grading position, or assistance with an online course in which all essential communication is written – which are positions for which the speaking proficiency does not have to be met).

Note that requests for appeals normally must be made within 2 weeks of the date the score was reported or within no more than 1 week of the first day of classes, whichever is earlier. However, if the criteria in #1 above are met, then departments may request an Appeal Session on behalf of the student to discuss the possibility of giving the student a teaching assignment such as one of those listed in #2.

For more information on how to request an MSU Speaking Test and the current ITA Testing Schedule, visit the ELC Testing site.

AAE 451 and 452 are ITA support courses designed to help graduate students who have not yet met the university minimum oral proficiency requirement for teaching assistants and who would benefit from additional language instruction. These courses meet three times per week for ten weeks. 

Tuition is calculated at the rate of a 3-credit course and students may use part of their tuition waiver if they have one.  The prerequisite for enrolling in either course is an MSU Speaking Test score of 40 or 45. Priority in enrollment is given to students who already have TA appointments.

To enroll, eligible students must first make a request through the MSU Speaking Test System online. Prospective students will then be contacted by the ITA Program coordinator with further information and instructions for setting up a meeting to determine which ITA support course best meets their skills and needs. 

For more specific information on objectives, policies, and registration for AAE 451 and AAE 452, please click on the course numbers above or contact the ITA Program at ITAprogram@elc.msu.edu.

If a student obtains a 45 on the MSU Speaking Test or the ITAOI and the department wishing to hire the student feels the test result inaccurately reflects the student's speaking ability, the department may ask a Review Board to evaluate independently the student's spoken English.

The department may also request an appeal if they feel the student is close to meeting the requirement and the linguistic demands of an appointment are minimal and do not require a score of 50 (e.g., for a small recitation or lab assignment). 

If this is the case, the department representative should come to the appeal session prepared to discuss the details of the student’s role in the intended assignment. This process makes it possible to employ a student who might otherwise not pass the speaking test outright by matching that student to a position for which their current level of oral proficiency would be adequate.

If a student is not being considered for a Teaching Assistantship for the upcoming semester, the appeal request may be denied, in which case the student will be asked to retest. Each hiring department may also request an appeal for a student who received a 40, but only for one such case per academic year (August – July), and that student can have no subsequent reviews by any department unless he or she retests and scores 45.

There are two exceptions to the policy of a minimum requirement of 50 to be a TA with no assignment restrictions:

The first exception is for TAs assigned to foreign language classes conducted primarily in the target language, in which case the required score on the MSU Speaking Test or ITAOI is 45, and candidates scoring 40 will be automatically eligible for an appeal that will not count toward the department’s one allowable 40 per academic year.

The second exception is that the speaking proficiency requirement will be waived for applied music studio TAs under the following three conditions:

1. The instruction is one-on-one and primarily demonstration based.
2. Mandatory, close faculty supervision is provided for the first semester.
3. The TA’s performance is evaluated after each semester of instruction.

The Review Board will consist of: 

1. a departmental representative with faculty status
2. two ELC representatives
3. a representative of The Graduate School. 

The Graduate Director of the student’s hiring department must request the review on the student’s behalf. The Review Board can grant interviewees a full or partial waiver to teach. They can also make a determination that interviewees’ language skills do not merit any waiver. 

Requests for appeals must be made within 2 weeks of the date the score was reported or within no more than 1 week of the first day of classes, whichever is earlier.

The Review Board will consist of:

1. a departmental representative with faculty status
2. two ELC representatives
3. representative of The Graduate School. 

The Graduate Director of the student’s hiring department must request the review on the student’s behalf. The Review Board can grant interviewees a full or partial waiver to teach. They can also make a determination that interviewees’ language skills do not merit any waiver.