This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.

We continue our reports about foreign students at Americancolleges and universities. Today, we discuss one way students mayearn money after they successfully complete an entry-level studyprogram. Those wishing to continue their education could work as ateaching assistant, or T.A.

A teaching assistant usually works about twenty hours each week.Teaching assistants are paid to help professors teach students inentry-level study programs.

Generally, the professor gives a talk, or lecture, to a largegroup of students one or two times a week. The teaching assistantmeets with smaller groups of students during the week. The T.A.gives tests and reads any homework or reports the students may berequired to write.

Teaching assistants also meet with students who seek help. Theyattend teaching meetings. And some working with science professorshelp to organize laboratory equipment.

Most American colleges and universities must honor legalrequirements when employing foreign students as teaching assistants.One of these is that the T.A. must speak English well. Manyuniversities require one or two tests for all teaching assistantsfor whom English is not a native language.

One of these is the Test of Spoken English, or T.S.E. TheEducational Testing Service offers this test. Foreign students cantake the T.S.E. before they arrive in the United States.

The other test is the Speaking Proficiency English AssessmentKit, also known as the SPEAK test. The college or university usuallygives this test to make sure that students will be able tounderstand the teaching assistant.

West Virginia University in Morgantown employs men and women fromall around the world as teaching assistants. It requires good markson either test before a foreign student is permitted to teach. Theuniversity suggests that such students give a short talk to a groupof people to make sure they will be understood.

Teaching assistants whose English is not good enough are givenduties that do not require communication with students. They areexpected to get help to improve their spoken English. They will losethe job as a T.A. if their English has not improved after one year.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by NancySteinbach. This is Gwen Outen.