Language Consultant Program
The ITADP offers all International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) currently enrolled in ITADP courses the opportunity to meet with undergraduate language consultants one hour per week to enhance their language skills, develop cultural awareness, and get acquainted with Cornell undergraduates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are language consultants an important part of the ITADP?
What are the duties of language consultants?
How can I become a language consultant?
When are consultants hired?
How are consultants trained?
What materials do consultants receive?
How long are language consultants employed?
How are consultants paired with ITAs?
When do consultants meet with ITAs?
Why are language consultants an important part of the ITADP?
- There is a need for a coordinated network of support and resources for ITAs.
- ITAs who engage in authentic conversation with undergraduate students in a pressure-free environment make language gains.
- Undergraduate and ITA relationships and partnerships need to be enhanced and strengthened.
- ITA language comprehensibility must be reviewed by the population they teach in order to initialize feedback and ultimately achieve greater effectiveness.
What are the duties of language consultants?
In addition to individual meetings with graduate students some language consultants also assist ITADP instructors in ITADP classes. The ITADP also sponsors a weekly conversation hour where language consultants work with a group of graduate students.
Consultants help ITAs develop their informal/improvisational speaking abilities by encouraging them to explore idioms, tell stories, and discuss personal or topical issues. Consultants also act as "sounding boards" for ITAs who seek undergraduates' opinions about specific teaching practices and cultural norms. When possible, consultants also attend ITADP social events, and many continue their friendships with ITAs after their official work has ended.
How can I become a language consultant?
Language consultants are recruited from all colleges across campus by Kimberly Kenyon, Associate Director of the ITADP, kpk9@cornell.edu, 255-6409.
When are consultants hired?
Most consultants are hired in the fall semester of the academic year and many stay involved with the program for successive semesters.
How are consultants trained?
At the beginning of the academic semester, consultants participate in an orientation and training session in which they practice strategies for critical feedback, develop awareness of the dynamics of cross-cultural communication, and learn techniques for helping ITAs improve their language fluency and accuracy in an informal setting.
Language consultants also participate in two other full staff meetings per semester. During these meetings they receive additional training and feedback and work together to create authentic materials for graduate students in the ITADP to use via the ITADP Blackboard site. Each semester consultants meet with their supervisor and all consultants are encouraged to contact their supervisor at any time to check in or ask for guidance.
What materials do consultants receive?
Each language consultant receives an ITADP instructional manual and access to the ITADP Blackboard site.
How long are language consultants employed?
A semester of employment for the language consultant program is estimated to be 8-10 weeks of the semester due to time taken out for hiring, training and university holidays.
How are consultants paired with ITAs?
Language consultants are paired with ITAs based on how their scheduling information best matches that of the ITAs for available freetime periods. Requests for gender or specific consultants are honored but are not guaranteed.
When do consultants meet with ITAs?
Upon receiving one or more ITA partners, language consultants personally initiate contact and coordinate individual weekly meetings with ITAs. Times and locations are agreed upon mutually by the consultant and ITAs.