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The French Graduate Program:
Our Teaching Assistant Training
- The training program begins just before fall quarter, with a week of orientation to our proficiency-based pedagogy and materials (textbooks, slides, videotapes, etc.). During this Workshop, Teaching Assistants and Lecturers deal with theoretical as well as practical material in language acquisition theory and pedagogy. They also address the teaching of literature and writing skills. In addition to discussing trends in Second Language Acquisition theory and Applied Linguistics, they learn about the teaching portfolio.
Check here for an overview of the fall 2007 workshop.
- All new Academic Student Employees have to attend a mandatory campus orientation. See the flyer.
- Other training workshops include the use of technology in research and teaching, graduate writing, and preparation for the job market:
Check our training workshops of fall 2006. Soon to be updated.
- First-time Teaching Assistants are typically assigned to French 1, where they attend a daily "pilot class" that assists them in structuring their own class content and time. Weekly "section meetings" help TAs teach the first two years of French language, in 10-week quarterly segments, with class size ranging from 20-25 students. Classes meet 4 times per week (Mon.-Thurs.) for 50 minutes. TAs must have one "office hour" per week, and attend one hour-long "section meeting" per week.
- TAs problem-solve and ensure that all sections of a given level progress at the same rate.
- Advanced Ph.D. students have the opportunity to teach discussion sections of lower-division General Education courses taught by our faculty. They may also teach French composition and introduction to literary analysis under the supervision of faculty. In the summer they are invited to teach their own classes as instructors of record.
- Advanced students may also be hired as assistant to the Language Supervisor, a position that enhances their skills and credentials on the job market.
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