Academic Spoken English

ASE2 EAP 5836
Fall 2008

ASE 2 Homepage

Instructors	Email	Office	Phone	Classes
Christian Hettick	christianh@ufl.edu	317 YON	392-3286	T 3 - 4
Sarah Wears-Garcia	sarahkay@ufl.edu	312 YON	392-3286	W 2 - 3
Dr. Jules D. Gliesche	drjdg@ufl.edu	315 YON	392-3286	W 5 - 6
Gordon Tapper	gt@ufl.edu	313 YON	392-3286	R 4 - 5
Classroom: 320 Yon
Office Hours: We are always glad to see students by appointment.
ASE Coordinator: Gordon Tapper, 313 Yon, ASE-Info@ufl.edu (352)392-3286

Once you know your schedule, please fill out the
ASE 2 Registration Form

Course Materials

Gatorlink ID
Communicate. Smith, Meyers, and Burkhalter. At Textbook Brokers U of F, 1227 W University Ave.
Course packet. At Target Copy, 1412 W University Ave.
Internet Access (high speed)
QuickTime Player 7 (Free!)
Folder with pockets (for wordlist)
Looseleaf notebook (recommended)

Course Goal

ASE 2 attempts to ensure the teaching success of international teaching assistants (ITAs) by enhancing their linguistic and cultural competence in the U.S. classroom.

This 3-credit (S/U) course is designed for international students who scored 45 or 50 on the SPEAK test and are currently teaching a class or lab. Its purpose is to address aspects of the ITAs' spoken English, cross-cultural awareness, and teaching techniques that are likely to cause communication difficulties. ASE courses do not count toward a graduate degree. However, they are University of Florida graduate classes, listed in the catalog and eligible for fee waiver. They do appear on the academic transcript.

Method

This course has three basic components:

Individual observation and feedback - Every other week an ASE instructor will observe each ITA's class or lab. Up to seven observations will be videotaped and analyzed. On alternate weeks the ITA will meet with the instructor for feedback on strengths and weaknesses noted during the observation. Individual needs in areas such as pronunciation, grammar, fluency, and clarity will be addressed in the conferences.

Seminar - The seminar meets weekly for two periods. The seminar will address issues of language, culture, and pedagogy which apply to the group as a whole.

Final Evaluation - There is no final exam in this course, and students do not need to take the SPEAK test again. Instead, at the end of the course, representatives of UF departments meet with the ASE instructor to individually review videotapes of students' teaching, evaluate their classroom skills, and decide whether they are qualified to continue teaching or need further coursework in English. Passing the course does not guarantee exemption from further classes in English nor does it ensure future teaching assistantships.

Requirements

The course is graded on an S/U basis. To earn a grade of S, you must:

20% Attend the seminar regularly. We expect makeup work for any seminar missed. Three (3) hours of ABSENCES (including seminar and/or conference) will require a meeting with the coordinator and MAY RESULT IN A GRADE OF U.
20% Attend the individual conferences with your instructor in which you receive feedback on classroom observations or videotaping. It is your responsibility to notify the instructor well in advance if you cannot attend a scheduled appointment.
10% Complete all assigned readings, exercises, observations, and quizzes. Contribute to seminar activities.
10% Hand in a weekly reflective teaching journal (described below). It may be submitted by e-mail.
10% Record and practice key words (wordlist). Each week (based upon your instructor's preferences), you will either select or be assigned 10 words that are commonly used in your classroom or professional area. Using your computer, record the word and use it in a sentence. Leave 20-30 seconds blank, then record the next word, etc. Submit this recording to your instructor. Also turn in a written copy of each word and sentence with blank space for comments.
30% Show evidence of improving aspects of your English and teaching which your instructor asks you to target. This includes improvement in culturally appropriate classroom behavior such as greeting students and using their names, making eye contact while at the board, etc. To this end, you may be asked to complete pronunciation or grammar exercises, transcripts, or other individual work.

Passing the course does NOT guarantee exemption from further classes in English nor does it ensure future teaching assistantships. Your department and the Graduate School make these decisions. They will take into consideration the EAP 5836 final evaluation. There is no final exam in this course, and you do not need to take the SPEAK test again. Instead, at the end of the course, representatives of your department will meet with your ASE instructor to review videotapes of your teaching, evaluate your classroom skills, and decide whether you are qualified to continue teaching or need further coursework in English.

Teaching Journal

The teaching journal is an informal record of your teaching and your reactions to what happened in class. Its purpose is for you to reflect on both successes and failures with an eye toward building on your strengths and modifying your teaching where necessary. Your instructor will read your journal entry every week and provide you with feedback.

First Week Tips

Journal #1. Before you teach your first class, take a few minutes to write about any aspects of class that you are worried about. After you teach, review what happened in class. Pay special attention to those aspects you were concerned about. Were there any surprises? Did any aspects of the class go differently than you anticipated? If you teach this lesson again, what changes would you make? Based on your teaching so far, which of Bailey's teaching styles best describes your teaching? Which did she find most successful? Which skills interest you? Why?
Get to know your students as individuals. Try to identify any student whose behavior you find troubling. Observe where they are sitting and what they look like. Note your observations in your journal. Next class, when you call roll, try to link these students' names with their faces. Note in your journalhow successful you are in making these links. Also look for students whose behavior is positive and note it.
Actively learn your students' names. If you are having difficulty with this, plan a lesson such that the students have to do a written assignment for at least 10 minutes. At the beginning of class, pass a paper around the room and ask the students to write down their names, so you can match a name with where the student is sitting. While the students are writing, observe them carefully. Using the sign-up sheet, try to link each face with the person's name.

Last modified 25 August 2008
Programming: drjdg <drjdg(at)ufl(dot)edu>

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ASE2 EAP 5836 Fall 2008