【Latest News】112-1 The Assessment of EMI TA Skills Nurturing Bilingual Talents in Various Fields

To enhance the professional knowledge and skills of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses, the Resource Center for EMI (RCEMI) at National Taiwan Normal University organized the Assessment of EMI TA Skills on December 1st. This assessment is the only nationwide certification specifically designed for TAs in EMI courses, aiming to cultivate bilingual talents across various fields. The goal is to establish a friendly all-English classroom environment for EMI TAs nationwide, effectively enhancing the quality of higher education teaching and learning outcomes in Taiwan.

Professor Yeu-Ting Liu, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs emphasized that being a teaching assistant is a challenging role. Apart from the need to inspire students and facilitate teacher-student communication, TAs play a crucial role in creating a positive classroom atmosphere, especially when dealing with students of varying academic levels. He underscored that the skills acquired by teaching assistants through this training process can be applied not only in the classroom but also make them better communicators in their daily lives.

During the speech, Vice Executive Director of the RCEMI, Ya-Chu Fan, introduced the “EMI TA Professional Development Program” at National Taiwan Normal University. Launched in 2023, the program comprises three stages. In the first stage, teaching assistants are required to complete four hours of asynchronous online training courses. The second stage involves participating in on-site workshops and lectures, where RCEMI invites teachers and outstanding EMI TAs to share their experiences and insights on EMI courses. Finally, the third stage includes taking today’s “Assessment of EMI TAs Skills,” which consists of a 5-minute EMI teaching demonstration and a 3-minute EMI Course Simulation Test.

The 112-1 Assessment of EMI TA Skills has invited experienced committee members, including Dr. Christine Chang, Dr. Alessandra Ferrer, Dr.Pi-Hsia Hsu, and Dr. Yu-Chiao Chung, all of whom possess extensive expertise in English-Medium Instruction (EMI). The committee expressed that the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired throughout the various stages of the program effectively assist students in showcasing outstanding teaching assistant capabilities during the assessment. A total of 21 students from 13 different universities and various disciplines participated in the assessment. The demonstration topics covered a wide range of fields, including life sciences, history, civics, sustainable education, visual arts, and more, reflecting the diversity of teaching areas actively progressing towards EMI. Teaching assistants play a crucial supportive role in this development across diverse subject areas.

Yi-Yu Lo, a Master’s student of English Teaching at University of Taipei, has a keen interest in bilingual policies and EMI courses, prompting her participation in the program. She believes that the entire program is well-structured. The initial courses establish foundational knowledge, followed by practical lesson planning to apply what is learned. Teachers from RCEMI provide feedback on the lesson plans submitted by students, aiding them in better preparation for the assessment.

A total of 123 students enrolled in the program, with 78% hailing from external universities. This indicates a pressing demand for EMI TA training across various academic institutions, especially considering the growing trend of incorporating EMI courses. National Taiwan Normal University was selected in 2021 as one of the four key universities in the nation for bilingual education. Apart from actively promoting EMI policies, the university has established the “Resource Center for EMI.” The aim is to share successful EMI experiences from National Taiwan Normal University, collaborate with partner schools to exchange resources, and foster future opportunities for cooperation!

Targeted Students:

1. Students enrolled in university and graduate schools.
2. EMI TAs of 112-1 Semester will have priority.

Registration Deadline: 

12:00 PM, September 13th, 2023

Note:

1. Only online individual registration will be accepted. Late registrations will not be accepted.
2. Please choose one to register:

• 【Plan 1】 “EMI TA Online Training Course” Only.
• 【Plan 2】 “EMI TA Online Training Course” and “Assessment of EMI TA Skills (AETAS)”.
• 【Plan 3】”Assessment of EMI TA Skills (AETAS)” Only (This plan is only open to students who have completed the EMI TA online training course in the 111-2 semester.)

Registration Links:

• https://reurl.cc/p6ZzkQ

112-1 NTNU EMI TA Professional Development Program Completion List

1. 1. Course Completion Standard for 112-1:
      • Watch Course Videos for B1 and B2
      • Pass the Post-Course Exams
      • Post or answer at least one question in the B3 Discussion Board.
      • Complete the course feedback questionnaire after finishing the course.
        （The course completion statistics are based on the Moodle system.）
   2. The 112-1 EMI TA Online Training Courses will be available from 9 am on September 15, 2023 to 4 pm on October 18, 2023.
   3. If you have any inquiries or concerns, please contact us during office hours (08:30 AM to 12:00 PM; 01:30 PM to 05:00 PM) at (02) 7749-5905.
      
   4. Please refer to the complete course completion list:

Course Description:

1. Developed by the Resource Center for EMI and Center for Teaching and Learning Development (CTLD) of NTNU, RCEMI’s “EMI TA Online Training Course” offers students a path to become the best EMI TA there can be. Through a series of synchronous and asynchronous online courses, participants will acquire all the foundational professional knowledge and skills required.
2. The required courses are asynchronous online courses which include four modules (4hrs): “The Role of the EMI TA,” “EMI TA Skills and Strategies,” “EMI Course Design,” and “EMI Language Presentation“.
3. Online Synchronous Courses are elective courses. Elective courses (physical or online workshops) for this semester are scheduled to be announced separately in October.

Availability of Courses: 

1. Courses will be available from 9 am on September 15, 2023 to 4 pm on October 16, 2023

Course Platform:

1. 112-1 RCEMI EMI TA Training Course 
2. (Please log in to Moodle using the login information provided by RCEMI)

Certificate of Completion:

1. An electronic “EMI TA Online Training Course Completion Certificate” will be issued to participants who have completed this training course successfully on time and passed the corresponding evaluation.
2. RCEMI will announce the completion list of the course on October 18, 2023. Certificates will be issued electronically at the end of October.
3. Plan 2 Participants who fail to complete the course on time will lose their eligibility to participate in AETAS.
4. Plan 1 Participants who were issued a certificate of completion in the Autumn 2023 semester may register for AETAS in the Spring 2024 semester.

Note:

If you cannot complete the courses on time due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact RCEMI as soon as possible.

Assessment of EMI TA Skills (AETAS)

Assessment Description

1. This assessment was jointly developed by RCEMI, CTLD and the Center for Academic Literacy (CAL) of NTNU.
2.  The assessment is consisted of two parts: “EMI Teaching Demonstration (5 mins)” and “EMI Course Simulation Test (3 mins)”, and is entirely in English.

EMI Teaching Demonstration (5 mins)

1. Participants will design and implement a brief teaching demonstration in their subject area based on the EMI Teaching Strategies they learned from the online training course.
2. Participants must design a lesson plan according to the Writing Guideline for EMI Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (112-1) provided by RCEMI and submit their “Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (Draft)” and “Teaching Demonstration Slide” via Moodle by 4 pm on October 23, 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted.
   • Please submit your “Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (Draft)” and “Teaching Demonstration Slide” before 4 pm on October 23, 2023.
   • Please submit your files on Moodle B2-2-3 Exercise: Draft your own lesson plan section.
   • File name for submission:
     Name-Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (Draft) (Please submit in a Word file.)
   • Please also submit the teaching presentation slides you may have.
     File name: Name-Teaching Demonstration Slides
   • Before composing the lesson plan, it is advisable for you to refer to the “Rubrics for the AETAS” first. On the day of the assessment, the committee will use this scoring criteria for evaluation. This document will provide you with an initial understanding of the key aspects that the assessors will emphasize during scoring.
3. Feedback on participants’ “Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (Draft)” will be provided via email by November 13, 2023.
4. Participants can submit their “Teaching Demonstration Plan (Final)” based on the committee’s review comments before 16:00 on November 24th. The committee will adjust the marks of the lesson plans according to the final version submitted.

5. Please download the complete “Writing Guideline for EMI Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (112-1)”, “Example Plan for EMI Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (112-1)” and “Rubrics for the AETAS”：
   Attachment1：Writing Guideline for EMI Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (112-1)
   Attachment2：Example Plan for EMI Teaching Demonstration Lesson Plan (112-1)
   Attachment3：Rubrics for the AETAS

EMI Course Simulation Test (3 mins)

Participants are required to apply EMI Communication Strategies they learned from the online training courses to respond to situational questions posed by the evaluation committee.

Test Date: 

Friday, December 1, 2023 (For more information, please refer to the RCEMI website after late-November.)

Venue: 

Pu 101 Classroom on Heping Campus, NTNU (No. 162, Sec. 1, Heping East Road, Daan District, Taipei City 106, Taiwan)

Becoming a Certified EMI TA:

Participants who have received the Certificate of Completion for EMI TA Online Training Course and passed the Assessment of EMI TA Skills will be issued an “EMI TA Certificate” and receive an “EMI TA Teaching Kit” from RCEMI at the end of January 2024.

Note:

1. If you are unable to take the Assessment of EMI TA Skills due to unforeseen circumstances, please inform RCEMI by email as soon as possible.
2. Please abide by all deadlines. Any late submission will result in the forfeiture of your registration status.

Should you have any questions, please contact the project coordinator:

• TEL: (02) 7749-5905