Welcome to the August 2013 edition of the ITA-IS Newsletter!

It's hard to believe it, but we're already preparing for the convention in Portland, Oregon this spring. Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal. Here is a brief overview of TESOL 2014:

ITA-IS has been allocated (based on the overall number of proposal submissions):

• 8 concurrent sessions
• 3 poster sessions
• 1 roundtable discussion

We also have an exciting academic session and two robust intersections planned:

Academic Session

Recent Research Regarding ITAs: Theory and Practical Implications

ITA practitioners draw from interdisciplinary research to create innovative programming. Presenters discuss the role of ITA research and theory in programming and intercultural communication. Panelists explore the need for instructor and student adaptation. Implications for practitioners and researchers will be considered.

Intersections

Classroom Pragmatics: Research and Best Practices for Avoiding Potential Pitfalls

Intersection with ICIS and SPLIS

ITAs sometimes struggle to communicate effectively in the classroom because they may lack understanding of classroom pragmatics. In this panel, presenters discuss how ITA trainers can help their students develop a solid foundation in the interplay between language and context for better command of a wide variety of teaching functions.

Towards a More Inclusive TESOL Profession: Diverse Contexts, Collaborative Endeavors

Intersession with NNESTIS, TEIS, and EFLIS

Presenters from various interest sections will showcase how "collaboration" and "collaborative endeavors" (between NNESTs and NNESTs and between NESTs and NNESTs) could help NNESTs to overcome instructional challenges and capitalize on professional strengths and, therefore, benefit the English language learner populations that TESOL professionals serve in diverse contexts around the world.

ITA Books and Articles

Have you recently read a book or article focused on ITAs, or a related topic, that sparked an idea? Please share it with us via the ITAIS Listserv (ITA-L@LISTS.UFL.EDU) and ITA Community (ITAIS@community.tesol.org). Or, perhaps write a review for the next newsletter. Contact Pauline Carpenter (carpenterpauline@gmail.com) for more information.

Books and Articles That May Be of Interest

Gorsuch, G. J. (2012). Working theories for teaching assistant development: Time-tested & robust theories, frameworks, & models for TA & ITA learning. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

Ranta, L., & Meckelborg, A.(2013). How much exposure to English do international graduate students really get?: Measuring language use in a naturalistic setting. The Canadian Modern Language Review/La revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 69(1), 1–33.

Lin, S., Henderson, C., Mamudi, W., Singh, C., & Yerushalmi, E. (2013). Teaching assistants’ beliefs regarding example solutions in introductory physics. Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 9(1), 010120.

Tracy, K., & Robles, J. S. (2013). Everyday talk: Building and reflecting identities. (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

Research Opportunity

Robert delMas and Kyoung-Ah Nam are conducting research to identify possible communication gaps between ITAs and undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. They would appreciate our help in asking our students to participate. This includes sharing a survey with ITAs who have worked with undergraduate students in STEM courses (recitation sessions, grading, teaching, etc.) and/or undergraduates who have worked with ITAs in at least one of their STEM courses.

If you would like more information or want to participate, please contact Kyoung-Ah Nam (nam@american.edu). The results from this research project will be shared as part of our academic session at TESOL 2014.

Future ITA Steering Committee Member(s)

If you are interested in becoming more involved in the ITAIS, please consider nominating yourself for chair-elect (3 year commitment: One year each as chair-elect, chair, and immediate past chair), member-at-large (1 year commitment), secretary (1 year commitment), editor-elect (2 year commitment: one year each as editor-elect and editor), or community manager. We are looking for nominees who reflect a broad range of professional interests, institutional contexts, and geographic locations. All officers must be TESOL members and are expected to attend TESOL conventions during their terms of service.

To nominate yourself for any of these positions, please e-mail a brief (100 words maximum for both bio and statement) statement of interest, which should include biographical information, to Kathi Cennamo, ITA Past Chair (Cennamo.1@osu.edu). Our interest section thrives on member participation, so I hope you will submit your self-nomination or encourage colleagues to nominate themselves for these positions.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

I hope to see you on the lists…or in Ithaca? This is a beautiful time of year to visit!

Best,

Kim Kenyon

ITAIS Chair