AEM Graduate Program Handbook
English Language and SPEAK Test Requirements for Teaching Assistants(TAs)
The English language proficiency is critical to many aspects of your graduate student experience and your future professional career. The University of Minnesota has specific English language requirements that must be satisfied before a student can be a Teaching Assistant (TA). Consequently, the DGS and Associate Department Head, who manages all TA assignments, have instituted a policy to ensure that any English deficiencies are corrected as early as possible. The University of Minnesota requires that all nonnative English speaking Teaching Assistants (TAs) must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English appropriate to the demands of their teaching assistantship. The University of Minnesota policy considers a non-native speaker to be a person who grew up in a home where the primary language was not English. Note that this applies to US citizens, to students who have degrees from institutions in the US, and to students from countries where English is the medium of instruction.
If you are a non-native English speaker, you will be required to take the SPEAK Test before or during the first 2-weeks of the fall semester.The DGS and Associate Department Head will be notified about the results of your SPEAK Test. Website links concerning the SPEAK test are:
Related Links:
- Frequently Asked Questions about SPEAK Test
- SPEAK Test Schedules
- English Language Proficienty Rating Scale
- Resources for Non-Native English Speakers
Last Modified: 2007-08-16 at 09:50:57 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation