International Graduate Student Support

• Wyoming state law requires proof of English language oral proficiency for international speakers of English who will be hired for a Teaching Assistantship at the University of Wyoming.

• Administered by Language Testing International (LTI)

• Fully online and remotely proctored.
  OPIc proctoring at UW is not available.

• Accessible from anywhere, at any time.

• Cost varies in the range of $75 to $120—remote proctoring is included.
  Fee reimbursement is possible, contact your advisor/graduate coordinator.

• Results available in 2 to 5 workdays

• OPIc Certificates are processed by UW Admissions; no forwarding is necessary

• Passing Scores to qualify for a Teaching Assistantship: Advanced Mid (AM) or above

• TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo exam speaking sub-scores can be a valid substitution for the OPIc exam.

• Exemptions are possible, contact your department for details.

• OPIc practice material is available for free.

• OPIc results due for GTA hires:
  Fall GTA Hires by August 1
  Spring GTA Hires by January 1

• A 10-day, self-paced online OPIc/Duolingo Preparation Course is available through the ELC.

The course contains modules on structures of the OPIc and Duolingo tests, best practices for getting prepared, and a variety of practice test materials.

By the end of this course, you will:

1. Be more familiar with test structures, their purpose, and how to give the best answers to test questions.

2. Describe and narrate more confidently in paragraph form.

3. Practice with a variety of test-relevant listening and speaking activities.

Please note: Duolingo information and practices only cover “Conversation” & “Production” sections of the test.

Course Registration 

When you register for the OPIc, please make sure you register as “UW teaching applicants.” When you are registered as such, UW Admissions and the OPIc Administrator, Petra Heinz, will be able to process your OPIc result in the UW system. If you register as a general test taker, you are responsible to contact LTI to have them transfer your account to the UW LTI account after test completion.

For registration, please go to the ACTFL "Ordering a Language Assessment Online" guide and follow the instructions.

When you get to: “On the next screen, direct your attention to the right-hand column labeled Students/Teachers"

• Choose the following option: Programs with ACTFL Requirements

  • Don't click on the box Students/Teachers, but scroll down until you come to the box Programs with ACTFL Requirements (located on the right-hand side, second last option).

• Select Choose Test, and then select the option at the very bottom University of Wyoming Teaching Assistant Applicants. Continue following the instructions.

Superior (S-7), Advanced High (AH-6) and Advanced Mid (AM-5) level of English speaking proficiency: Student is qualified to teach UW labs and courses.

International graduate assistants hired to teach who do not receive a sufficient score (Advanced Mid) may retake the exam. However, please consult with the relative department and International Graduate ESL Coordinator, Petra Heinz, before doing so.

Your department is NOT authorized to waive the OPIc for you, even if you qualify for an exemption. ONLY the School of Graduate Education can grant an exemption from the OPIc exam if you meet the following prerequisites:

1. You have an advanced degree from an English-language university.

2. You have experience as a teaching assistant or you earned the UW ITA Training Certificate of Completion.

3. You can provide proof of the two items above.

4. Your graduate coordinator/advisor/faculty mentor requests an exemption on your behalf (with copy to pheinz@uwyo.edu).

Your English-language university degree (number 1 above) must be apparent on your transcripts. Please refer to the list of countries below from which the University of Wyoming accepts degrees that qualify for OPIc waivers.

Please contact your faculty mentor to inform them about your eligibility for an exemption, and provide documentation (e.g., course teaching evaluations, a letter from a previous supervisor, a teaching certificate from your previous institution, or the UW ITA Training Certificate of Completion). Your faculty mentor will then request an OPIc exemption at the Office for Graduate Education.

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List of Countries

Antigua & Barbuda

Australia

Bahamas

Belize

Bermuda

Canada (all provinces except Quebec)

Ghana

Grenada

Guyana

Ireland

Jamaica

New Zealand

Nigeria

Singapore

St. Kitts & Nevis

St. Lucia Dominica

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

Trinidad & Tobago

United Kingdom

Proficiency refers to the ability to perform an action or function. It refers to one's ability to use language for real-world purposes to accomplish real-world linguistic tasks across a wide range of topics and settings.

ACTFL Proficiency Tests reflect and measure the candidate's ability to carry out these real-world tasks. A proficiency test targets what an individual can do with what he or she knows. The language proficiency test is an evaluation of how well a person can use language to communicate in real life.

 

• The best and fastest way to get a comprehensive picture of what to expect from the OPIc is to read through the examinee handbook and to practice the sample questions given there.

• The Proficiency Guidelines let you know exactly what will be tested for each proficiency level and what you must demonstrate if you want to achieve that level of proficiency. Read them carefully.

• Step-by-step explanation with tips for studying for the test

• OPIc demo

• The English Language Center offers a self-paced online OPIc Preparation course.

If you will be supported by a graduate assistantship that requires teaching, you should take the OPIc exam prior to accepting the assistantship, but no later than August 1 (fall applicants) or January 1 (spring applicants).

Please consult with your department if you are unable to pass the exam. Your department might have other graduate assistant options for you.

Exam Scores and Sub-scores Sufficient to Meet the English Oral Proficiency Requirement for International Graduate Teaching Assistants

Exam	SubExam	Minimum Acceptable Score or Subscore
OPIc	N/A	Advanced Mid
TOEFL	Speaking	23
IELTS	Speaking	6.5
Duolingo	Conversations & Production (average of both)	105

The School of Graduate Education requires the completion of the online International Teaching Assistant Orientation for all international TAs who are hired as graduate teaching assistants at UW.

The Orientation modules are published a week before the beginning of each semester. We highly recommend that you watch the videos and complete the short quiz questions at your earliest convenience.

ITA Orientation Enrollment

All international TA/RA training workshops are free of charge. Participation is optional, but highly recommended by the Office of Graduate Education, in particular if you are new to UW and the American classroom environment. You will earn the UW ITA Training Certificate if you complete the series of five workshops within two semesters!        

These 5 x 2-hour workshops are a great opportunity for all international GAs to gain more knowledge about cultural differences in the American classroom and other important international GA-related topics. The workshops about presentation skills and pronunciation/intonation have proved to be very beneficial for research assistants too. Workshops are also a great way to get to know fellow GAs and to exchange experiences and best practices with them. The International Teaching Assistant Training Certificate is also a great resume asset.

Schedule for the Fall 2024 session is coming soon! Please check here May 1.

Please use the ELC WyoLearn Catalog to access all ELC Graduate Teaching Assistant workshops, or use the links below.

ITA Workshops	Title	Synchronous Zoom Sessions (Mountain Time)	Enrollment link
Workshop 1	Giving lectures and presentations your students can understand	Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023   5:15 - 7:45 pm	https://elc.catalog.instructure.com/courses/ita-workshop-1-fall-2023
Workshop 2	Strategies for effective classroom management	Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023 5:15 - 7:45 pm Access course shell prior to WS 2 to view preparation material	https://elc.catalog.instructure.com/courses/ita-workshop-2-fall-2023
Workshop 3	Pronunciation/Intonation	Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 5:15 - 7:45 pm Access course shell prior to WS 3 to view preparation material	https://elc.catalog.instructure.com/courses/ita-workshop-3-fall-2023
Workshop 4	How to hold presentations that will be remembered	Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 5:15 - 7:45 pm Access course shell prior to WS 4 to view preparation material	https://elc.catalog.instructure.com/courses/ita-workshop-4-fall-2023
Workshop 5	How to be approachable, fair, and professional at the same time	Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023 5:15 - 7:45 pm Access course shell prior to WS 5 to view preparation material	https://elc.catalog.instructure.com/courses/ita-workshop-5-fall-2023
Practice Mini-Lecture	15-minute in-person lesson presentation and attendance at classmates’ presentations	Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023 5:15 - 7:45 pm	Cheney International Center, Room 3

Workshop 1:

"Giving lectures and presentations your students can follow."

Strategies and tools that make your teaching and your students’ learning easier.

• The importance of building rapport with your students and how you can do it.
• Get to know teaching strategies that actually help your students learn.
• Did you know that you can practice how to better understand and correctly answer student questions?

A few participants’ comments on this workshop: "I learned how to teach in a better way;" "Petra covered a lot of useful strategies that will make my and my students’ lives easier;" "I most benefited from the model of how to answer student questions. I was afraid of what to do when I don’t understand a student question. Now, I know." 

 

Workshop 2:

"Strategies for an effective classroom management."

Best practices to deal with student expectations and behavior.

• What does classroom management mean at American institutions of Higher Education?
• Insight into the five most common classroom challenges International Teaching Assistants encounter and how to best deal with them.
• Overview of experts’ opinions (McKeachie, Curzan) and their tips for effective classroom management.

A participating student’s answer to the feedback question "Would you recommend this workshop to other Teaching Assistants?" was: "Absolutely! This workshop is really effective for new TAs." 

 

Workshop 3:

"Pronunciation/Intonation."

Improve your intonation to enhance your comprehensibility.

• What’s so special about English vowel sounds?
• Intricacies of the English word and sentence stress: English listeners need emphasis to understand what is said! Learn which word to stress in a sentence.
• Helpful practice tips about how to become a more intelligible speaker.

Students stated the following regarding this workshop: "The vowel practice was enlightening. Also, the stress /pitch that must be emphasized when speaking" and "I know much better now what I can do to speak in a more comprehensible way." 

 

Workshop 4:

"How to hold a presentation that will be remembered"

Become a structured and confident speaker.

• Audience; organization; delivery; body language; question & answer session: In
  which way is presenting in the US different from your home country.
• Answers for non-native speakers on how to be an effective presenter despite English language flaws.
• Do's and Don't's of PowerPoint design.

A former GA in this workshop said, "This workshop is not just for Teaching Assistants. I will recommend this workshop to fellow RAs. It is very effective in improving presentation skills." 

 

Workshop 5:

"How to be approachable, fair, and professional at the same time"

Hold effective office hours, know about FERPA regulations, grade fairly, minimize complaints, and optimize and use your syllabus to enhance your professionalism.

• Overview and resources of important UW rules and regulations.
• How can they affect or back up your performance as a teaching assistant?
• Case studies and useful strategies: You are not alone!
• Holding efficient office hours & conversational tools for office hour visits.

To cite a student’s feedback comment from this workshop: "I highly recommend the workshop to other TAs because they will gain important information about grading, students’ rights, and TAs’ responsibilities. I learned many things I didn’t know before, but I have to know as a TA." 

 

Practice Mini-Lecture:

This is your opportunity to apply and practice what you learned during the ITA Workshop series. Here is how it works:

1. Let your audience know the setting of your teaching (lab, classroom, or other; the approx. class size; whether you are expected to teach in-person or online)

2. Present your mini-lecture to your fellow workshop participants. Use a PPT, the board and any other materials you need. (10 minutes)

3. Discuss with your audience the following points: What teaching and learning strategies did you incorporate in your mini-lecture? Tell us why you chose them; find out if they were they effective. For example:

   • What did you do to create student rapport?

   • Was it easy to follow the organization of the content? What could you do differently and why?

   • What strategies you learned about in the training workshops did you use that helped us better understand you and the content you presented? Find out how they affected our learning.

   • Which classroom activity(s) did you use? Why did you choose them?

   • Anything else you would like to explore about your teaching practice? (10 minutes)

4. Your audience will also use a rubric that helps them evaluate your teaching practice.