Word: classing
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...which the Teaching Fellow has an accent so pronounced that it is challenging to understand even the simplest phrases is even more unappealing. Even when the problem is not the language itself, many foreign TFs have trouble understanding things like extracurricular commitments and why students occasionally eat in class...
...unfortunate that students have to worry about communication barriers when they are already struggling to learn and understand the course material. This problem has become a growing issue at Harvard and seems to especially affect students taking courses in math and the sciences, where classes are often large and English is not necessarily internal to the subject matter. In an attempt to remedy this problem, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning launched a pilot class in which TFs who are not native English speakers could learn skills to break the cultural and communication barriers in the classroom...
...English grammar, but rather teaches foreign TFs about American culture in hopes of tearing down some of the cultural barriers and thus making communication easier. Though the program is promising, it is also extremely limited—only 16 out of 40 foreign TFs who applied for the class were accepted. More needs to be done to ensure that all TFs are able to effectively communicate with their students...
Harvard already tests all future TFs for proficiency in English. Now, however, those who do not meet the standards should be mandated to enroll in an English culture and language class. Many foreign TFs are probably aware of the communication barrier between students and themselves, and participation in such training would be a way to proactively overcome certain qualms about teaching in an unfamiliar language...
...leave some departments lacking TFs, but there should be a stream of potential TFs who are willing to take the course as a prerequisite to their teaching positions, thus lessening the chances of a TF shortage. Perhaps previous graduate students who were discouraged by the prospect of teaching a class without a solid grasp of the English language and American culture would be more likely to apply to be a TF, knowing they would receive support and training from such a class...