APPLICABILITY: ALL TEACHING PERSONNEL

I. INTRODUCTION

Texas Education Code Section 51.917 requires each public institution of higher education in Texas to establish a program of assessment and assistance for faculty and teaching personnel whose primary language is not English. The University of North Texas addresses this need as follows:

A. Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows: The university for many years has had in place a successful and extensive program to assess and certify language competence for teaching assistants and teaching fellows. That program (description attached) will continue to apply for teaching assistants and teaching fellows.

B. All Other Faculty: Teaching personnel in all categories other than teaching assistants/fellows will be covered by the program described hereinafter.

II. ISSUES

The issues posed by Texas Education Code Section 51.917 are (1) identification of teaching personnel whose primary language is, or is not, English; (2) assessment of language skills for those whose primary language is not English; and (3) program of assistance for those who need to improve language competency.

A. Identification

1. Initially all current teaching personnel will be asked to attest that English is their primary language or to identify their primary language if it is not English. This can be accomplished by requesting department heads to submit a list of faculty identifying the primary language of each person. Those whose primary English language competence is thus certified would be required to take no further action. Those for whom English is not a primary language will be required to participate in the second phase—language assessment.

2. Prospective teaching personnel will, at an appropriate time in the employment process, be asked to certify that their primary language is English or, if it is not, to identify their primary language. Those whose primary language is not English will be required to participate in the second phase—language assessment—before employment commences.

B. Assessment

1. The primary means of assessment of language competency for teaching is the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the SPEAK Test (the institutional version of the TSE). A score of 220 on this test usually will be considered adequate for employment in a teaching position. This standardized test may be supplemented with other assessment methods such as an appraisal of a demonstration lecture.

2. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs may approve alternate but equivalent means of assessment (e.g., the Foreign Service Institute test) whenever necessary or appropriate.

3. As a result of the assessment of language competence, individuals may be required to participate in a program of language assistance as a condition of employment in any teaching capacity.

C. Language Assistance Program

The basic components of this program are similar to those of the program for international teaching assistants and teaching fellows, and consist of the following:

1. A series of lectures that will be open to all teaching staff and will deal with communication skills, basic techniques for effective teaching and cross-cultural differences in the classroom. These lectures will be presented on a regular basis throughout the semester.

2. Individual workshops in which teaching personnel in the course will have the opportunity for one-on-one attention to practice lectures, pronunciation and/or any other appropriate area of communications and teaching.

3. Reassessment will be available at any time the participant and program personnel deem it appropriate.

III. STRUCTURE OF PROGRAM

The above program (like the program for teaching assistants and teaching fellows) is organized within the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, with the following administrative arrangements:

A. Faculty are involved in the direction and conduct of the program.

B. Technical expertise in language assessment, second language learning, second language teaching and other relevant areas is provided by the Intensive English Language Institute.

C. Necessary space, secretarial and material support services are to be arranged.