[International Teaching Assistants]

By

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank to my supervisor supporting me throughout my project and giving his valuable suggestions. Finally thanks to all my friends and family for their utmost support and inspiration.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

Table of Contents

DEFINITIONS OF TERMSv

INTRODUCTION1

PROBLEMS OF INTERNATIONAL TEACHING ASSISTANTS (ITA) ON CSU, FRESNO CAMPUS2

Problematic Areas besides Language5

SOLUTIONS AND TRAINING FOR THE ITAs AT CSU10

Purpose of Study10

Issues Concerning Students13

Concepts In Relation To Learning13

BENEFITS OF THE SOLUTION15

LITERATURE REVIEW17

RECOMMENDATIONS30

Pedagogical Implications30

Workshop32

CONCLUSION34

REFERENCES35

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Various terms are used throughout the study; therefore, it is essential that a common understanding be established between the researchers and the reader. Thus, the following terms and definitions are provided: (Gorsuch 2003)

Acculturation: One's learning of, or adapting to, another culture.

Intercultural communication: Communication that includes the actual interaction of people from various countries.

Communicative competence (CC): One's ability to use the language effectively and appropriately for communication. CC knows what to say and do, when and to whom, and how to accomplish what purpose.

TA: Teaching assistant is a general term for a classroom instructor, lab assistant, co teaching instructor. This term is even sometimes used to refer to graders for a regular faculty member.

ITA: An international teaching assistant, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, is a non-resident alien, part-time instructional assistant at a higher-education institution, who was born in a foreign country and came to the United States (U.S) to pursue a graduate study. (Gonzalez 2004)

INTRODUCTION

In the U.S, many college and university mission and vision statements espouse an educational philosophy that encourages egalitarianism, open access, equal opportunity, and internationalization. These ideals are especially appealing to international students imbued with a spirit of adventure. However, the institutions at which these students are admitted are quite often not adequately prepared to receive and integrate them resulting in administrators and faculty members "scrambling to accommodate this diversity" (Collier 2009)as the nature of teaching and the face of higher education changes. The Growth in International Graduate Students as Teaching Assistants With declining enrollments by domestic graduate students in various academic programs, international students are being actively recruited to fill graduate level classes These students bring to the classroom social, political, or economic perspectives about "their home countries and thus widen the U.S. students' perspectives on the world"(Coimbra 2002). Rising enrollment rates for international graduate students, particularly in areas such as computer science and mathematics, engineering, and the physical sciences, have resulted in a concomitant increase in members of this student population being appointed as graduate teaching assistants. Also they are increasingly becoming part of the social sciences faculty, teaching, sociology, comparative religion, anthropology etc.

PROBLEMS OF INTERNATIONAL TEACHING ASSISTANTS (ITA) ON CSU, FRESNO CAMPUS

For various reasons, the ...