Look up at your computer camera as much as possible.Īfter your explanation of the concept, you will be asked 2-4 questions about what you just explained. You may use an outline or notes, but do not read your explanation. You have the option of using screenshare and sharing ONE visual to support your explanation. You should approach this task as if you were explaining it to a small group of freshman undergraduates. This should be a concept that students in a first-year undergraduate course would learn. In advance, prepare an explanation of a basic concept from your field. (Speaking time: 5-minute explanation, followed by 2-3 minutes answering questions about the concept) Task 2: Introduction of a basic concept in your field You will then be asked some small talk questions and may be asked some questions about your daily life, your studies, and/or your future plans. When the proctor begins the recording, please greet them and tell them your first and family names, your UT EID, and your major. (Speaking time: 4-5 minutes of conversation with your proctor) The four assessment tasks are: Task 1: A brief conversation You will be rated on the following skills: Fluency (30%), Grammar (20%), Vocabulary (20%), Pronunciation (15%), and Communicative Competence (15%). You will meet with a proctor who will forward your recorded session to two raters. It measures your ability to communicate in English in an instructional setting and includes a variety of situations to demonstrate how well you speak English in the context of presenting information in your academic area to undergraduates. This 30-minute assessment is designed to determine whether your level of English oral proficiency is sufficient to work as a TA at The University of Texas at Austin. What is the oral English proficiency assessment?.You will also be charged the assessment fee if you schedule an appointment but do not show up. Note: After the initial assessment, the student must pay for all additional assessments. In order to receive unconditional English Certification as a TA or AI with student contact, you need to obtain a score of 250 or higher on the Oral English Proficiency Assessment and complete the ITA Workshop.
Students may take the assessment only once per semester and are limited to three attempts per year, with a maximum of five total assessments. If you did not pass your initial assessment, you may schedule an appointment to take an additional assessment the following semester. If you have conditionally passed the assessment (with a score of 230-245) and if you will be appointed to a position with student contact, you must be enrolled in the ITA course, ESL 389T, during the semester of your appointment. *Note: You do not have to complete the workshop in the same semester as the assessment, but you must take the assessment before you can complete the workshop.
You must have a user name and password to access the workshop this will be provided to you when you receive your results. If your score on the assessment is 230 or higher, then your next step is to complete the ITA Workshop, which is offered online. The Assessment is scored by two English Language Center professionals and the two raters' scores are averaged. Make sure that your message is clear and that you emphasize the key points. Syllabus role play - Imagine you are an instructor on the first day of class and need to give your students information about the class schedule, location, test dates, textbooks or lab materials, etc.Be especially careful about verb tenses with this task. This usually involves talking about numerical data, percentages, and trends. Explanation of a visual - Practice describing and discussing information presented in a graph or chart.Think about questions that the raters might ask you, and practice potential answers. Be sure to use organizational expressions to help your listeners follow your ideas. Explanation of a basic concept in your field - Practice speaking for 5 minutes about your concept.For the conversation, practice talking about the following kinds of topics: what's been going on in your life recently, your studies, your future plans, daily life, and current events. Brief conversation - For the introduction, practice saying a greeting, your name, EID, and major.Suggested practice activities for each of the sections follow: It is very helpful to record yourself on tape and then listen to how your speech actually sounds. Familiarize yourself with the directions for all four sections of the assessment and practice responding to each section.