It is clear from available sources such as Open Doors (Institute of International Education, 2014) that there has been a marked increase in the number of international students studying at U.S. universities. Simply looking at enrollment trends, we can see that the number of international students has increased steadily since 2009, rising of 3.5% to 4.2% in just four academic seasons. Of those students, 37% are at the graduate level and 42% are undergraduates (Institute of International Education, 2014). As universities race to serve their international student populations, it is also important to look at what these students do while on campus and how they are perceived and assessed. In this review of literature, I look at a specific population because it relates to the program I direct. The program, housed under student affairs, includes courses and training for all teaching assistants; for international teaching assistants (ITAs), an assessment of spoken English is administered and courses in spoken English are offered to those who need to enhance their current skills. These students also participate in the general TA training. Also offered is a distinctive spoken English tutoring program that is open to undergraduate and professional students as well.

When I began my position as assistant and now associate director of Spoken English Programs at a university in Ohio, one of the top 10 states where universities enroll international students, I was anxious to learn more about our current program and programs at other institutions. I connected easily and quickly with other programs for ITAs and found great support in the TESOL ITAIS. A next logical step was to look at the literature available. While I found research specifically on ITA programs, I was interested in getting an overview of the research available and have compiled this study to look at themes in research on ITAs and ITA programs.

The Literature Review

I conducted a systematic search of articles using two online databases: PsychINFO and ERIC. The following key terms were used for the searches: international and teaching assistant and assess. Initially, the search was not limited by date range or peer-reviewed journals, and after a review of abstracts, I chose 40 articles as most directly applying to the assessment of ITAs. The full list of these articles can be read here:

Appendix A

When a limit of 1999–2015 was applied to the results, 22 articles were released before 1999. When a further limit of peer-reviewed journals was applied, 11 were found to be dissertations or from non-peer-reviewed journals, leaving me with 7 articles. Therefore, I decided to look at themes in all 40 original articles and then comment on the 18 articles that were most current. Certainly, though, this shows that a future push toward research in this area is necessary and will fill a gap.

Themes

The themes that emerged looking at all 40 articles included the following: 13 articles on language testing and assessment, 8 articles on ITA training programs, 5 articles on general ITA topics (including adapting as an ITA and general information about current ITA populations), 3 articles on TOEFL/speaking tests specifically, 4 articles on other issues (including professional development for ITAs), 3 articles on the influence or interaction of raters on language tests, 2 articles on communication/performance of ITAs, 2 articles on culture, and 1 article on the perceptions of ITAs. One article, vom Saal (1988) is included as an article on assessment as well as an article on training as it covers both issues.

While this is only a brief look at the current literature available on a topic of great importance to ITA programs (assessment of our students), what is interesting is the lack of research based on the perceptions of the ITAs themselves along with the few articles on culture.

The program that I am affiliated with has seen a trend among the students that they require, and also desire, more training and instruction in the area of culture. This refers to both U.S. culture and campus culture, as they perceive awareness of these cultures, along with speaking skills, as enhancing their ability to acclimate as well as engage in the wider campus community.

While I have not completed this project, this is a brief look into themes in ITA research as I consider what direction my own research will take; it is also of interest as I have recently returned from TESOL and am now looking ahead at proposing for next year’s convention. What areas in ITA research seem to have gaps? How can we fill those gaps and collaborate, drawing together our knowledge and experience to broaden those areas? My own program is exploring the development of additional seminars in spoken English and culture along with further development of our orientation process as we consider how to best assess and support the international teaching assistants on our campus. While most ITA programs are driven by assessment and are often reactive in their support, this research, along with future presentations and publications, helps us to further expand programming to both assess and support these valued members of our university communities.

References

Institute of International Education. (2014). Open doors: A quick look at international students in the U.S. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Infographic

Elise J. Geither, PhD, has worked in higher education for over 20 years supporting international students and students transitioning to university. Her areas of interest are writing instruction and supporting international students in university writing centers as well as ITA research. She is currently associate director of Spoken English Programs at Case Western Reserve University. Geither is also a playwright and poet. Her plays have been produced throughout the United States and her short play, The Stone, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Geither lives in Ohio with her husband and three daughters.