Both university policy and PA law require that all students, undergraduate as well as graduate, who are nonnative English speakers must pass a screening test before they can work as teaching fellows, teaching assistants or graders who will meet with students. Since this policy went into effect, we have had tremendous cooperation from all departments, and both the undergraduates and the ITAs themselves have benefited from this system.

Some departments have raised questions about the interpretation of this requirement. Let us take this opportunity to clarify some of these commonly asked questions:

 1. What is a nonnative English speaker (NNES)?

Nonnative English speakers are international or domestic students whose native language (first language / mother tongue) is not English. This can include:

• Newly arrived international students
• Students who attended all or part of high school or college in the US
• Students who attended an English speaking high school in another country
• Students who are speakers of another variety of English (e.g. from India, Singapore, Hong Kong)

 2. Do US residents / citizens have to take the ITA Test?

Any student who is not a native speaker of English should be tested regardless of citizenship. US residency or citizenship is no guarantee of English proficiency. A Canadian student who is a native English speaker does not need the test; a native French speaking Canadian does.

3. Do speakers of other varieties of English (e.g. students from India, Singapore, Hong Kong etc.) need to take the ITA test?

Clearly, many students in this category speak fluent English. However, there have been language problems with some students who were not originally tested and later found to need a lot of remedial work. While we realize that it may seem unnecessary to test these students, at present we see no alternative other than to have a uniform policy and test everyone.

4. Do graders need the ITA test?

It depends on how a particular department defines "grading": different skill sets are required for quantitative grading only with no student contact vs. grading while also meeting with students to explain and discuss grade vs. grading that requires the ability to communicate effectively in written English (e.g., grading lab reports, journal entries, essays, responding to discussion boards, writing test questions, etc.).

Use the chart below to determine what type of assessment would be appropriate for a specific "grading" job. However, be aware that the TOEFL Writing score does not give information about the ability to respond in a culturally appropriate way to students (e.g., on email discussion boards, comments on papers, etc.).

5. Does a student still need to be tested if he or she has been studying in this country for several years?

We have tested students who had completed undergraduate and graduate work in this country and still have basic problems with speaking and listening skills. Even a student who has worked as a TA at another university may not have the language skills necessary to function as a TA at Carnegie Mellon University. Again, to insure a uniform policy, please insist that all nonnative speakers take the test.

6. When are ITA tests offered?

ITA testing is offered for three weeks each November and April. We strongly encourage students to take the test the semester before they will work as a TA. For students who get last-minute TA assignments, there is make-up testing the first and second week of each semester. For a $100 fee, departments can request the test at other times, but it is often difficult for us to schedule the test outside the regular testing periods. ITA testing is labor intensive; each test takes 30 minutes with four intructors, followed by a 30-minute feedback appointment with one instructor.

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