ITA Interviews

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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2025, 04:55 PM

Information for International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)​

If you've been contacted to complete an "ITA Oral Interview," these resources will assist you with a successful completion.​​

Step-by-Step Guide for Taking ITA Oral Interview – First, download the Step-by-Step Guide for Taking the ITA Oral Interview​​

In the following video, CTE director, Dr. Craig Engstrom, explains how to take the ITA oral interview. 

 

Important Details

  • Do not stress. This is not an exam. This is a conversation in which you will demonstrate your conversational English. Your academic unit and the CTE will assess you.​
  • If necessary, we will schedule a follow-up interview through Zoom or an on-campus interview upon your arrival at SIU.​
  • We will also provide recommendations to your academic units (supervising professor) and useful resources for any ITA needing additional language support.

Information for Academic Units

Academic units that have incoming international TAs need to add their information to the ITA Oral Interview Compliance Tracker (Excel) details below.

School Directors and other program officials can request access to the tracking and compliance form by clicking the button and requesting access directly through SharePoint.

This form, along with the results in D2L, serves as the official record of oral interview completion and policy compliance. No additional paperwork is needed! Information in D2L will serve as the required compliance.​

Access to the tracking/compliance form or examination results in D2L can also be requested via this form.

Any questions or issues should be directed to teach@siu.edu. 

ITAs Starting in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026

AY 2025-26 ITA Oral Interview Compliance Tracker (Excel)

ITAs Starting in Future Semesters

  • Academic Year 2026-27 ITA Oral Interview Compliance Tracker (Available January 2026)
  • Academic Year 2027-28 ITA Oral Interview Compliance Tracker (Available January 2027)

Interview Results & Next Steps

  1. ITAs will receive confirmation of their results via D2L; we are directing them to forward their results to their units/programs.
  2. Units should complete the International Teaching Assistant Checklist for the SIU Graduate School.
  3. ITAs' exam completion status and results can be tracked via the Excel document called "Academic Year 2026-27 ITA Oral Interview Compliance Tracker (Available January 2026)" form above.

Requirements & Exemptions

A 1987 law -- the University of Illinois Act (110 ILCS 305) -- requires non-native English-speaking faculty and instructors, including teaching assistants (ITAs), teaching at all state universities, to demonstrate oral English proficiency if they have contact with students (Sec. 7c).

Because they provide classroom instruction, non-native English-speaking teaching assistants fall into this category unless their only assignment is grading and written feedback.

🔗Read 110 ILCS 305/7c (from Ch. 144, paragraph 28c)

Faculty compliance has its own protocols. The ITA oral interview process described on this page applies only to ensuring the compliance of ITAs.

Exemptions

Please read the information related to exemptions.

Graduate Teaching Assistants are exempt from demonstrating oral English proficiency if:

1) They originate from or have attended English-medium schools continuously since age 13 (or younger) in any of the following countries:
  • United States, Australia, Scotland, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand
  • Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St. Kitts, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

OR,

2) They are hired as Graders and have no oral interaction with students.

The ITA Oral Interview & Admissions

The oral interview requirement applies only to graduate students who are assigned teaching responsibilities that require oral interaction with learners; it does not impact admission to programs. Graduate students should contact their academic programs of interest with questions regarding admission to programs or fulfilling teaching responsibilities.