Analysis: International TAs
Michael Langseth wrote an article in the Minnesota Daily last week on the university’s grading of international teaching assistants.
According to the article, the university is looking at using a new test to determine when an international student’s English is “good enough” for them to help other students as a teaching assistant.
In my opinion, the article only increases negative stereotypes that international students struggle to speak English. In an example of poor journalism, Langseth did not even speak with an international teaching assistant for his article.
He also hangs himself in the foot by saying international teaching assistants showed “virtually no difference in overall teaching satisfaction scores compared to other TAs.”
So the only relevance to the story is that the university potentially keeps international students with poor English skills from serving as teaching assists by using an outdated test that is going to be replaced.
However, Langseth does not follow up on how many students take the test and how many are kept out of the program.