Graduate Information | Graduate Student Support

Graduate Teaching Opportunities

The Department of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages is pleased to offer graduate students an opportunity to gain experience teaching over several semesters. Teaching assistantships are available, depending on the student's qualifications, in:

ESL Composition
Linguistics
Hebrew
Chinese
Japanese

The length of the TA contracts is one semester. Contracts are renewed semester to semester.

Ordinarily, M.A. candidates may be appointed to a maximum of four semesters. The total length of appointments is based on the number of semesters of teaching, not on the number of courses taught. Candidates are thus encouraged to finish their degrees in a timely manner.

During the first semester of teaching, TAs will normally be assigned one course. Appointments of two sections may be offered to returning TAs, based on enrollment needs. Ordinarily, TAs may teach no more than two sections campus-wide.

Returning TAs must be graduate students in good standing who have satisfactorily fulfilled the responsibilities of their teaching appointments. TAs who meet their responsibilities successfully will be considered highly in the reappointment process, although consideration does not guarantee rehiring.

In making TA appointments, higher priority will be given to students who have appropriate experience or coursework for the discipline they wish to teach.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship for Linguistics

Linguistics MA students may teach one or two sections per semester for up to four semesters. Normally, several sections of the undergraduate Introductory Linguistics course (Linguistics 101) are taught by GTAs (Graduate Teaching Associates) from the Linguistics MA program.

Application Procedure:
Applications should be submitted to the department chair by April 15 of each year for appointment during the following academic year. Applications should be include the following materials.

• Letter of application and statement of your teaching interests.
• A filled-out application form.
  Download an Application for Teaching or Graduate Assistantship (requires Acrobat Reader)
  Blank forms can be also obtained from the department office.
• Curriculum vitae or resume showing recent teaching experience.
• Graduate transcript
• At least two letters of recommendation, from professors or others qualified to assess your potential as a teacher as well as your strengths as a graduate student.

Applications will be reviewed by committees established by the department. Different committees will be set up for different specialties such as Introductory Linguistics, English Composition, Chinese, Japanese, etc. The committees will classify candidates as highly recommended, recommended, and not recommended, and will rank order applications.

Applications received later in the summer after April 15 deadline will be dealt with by the chair, who may reconvene the appropriate committee, or if this is not possible or not necessary, the chair may add the additional candidates to the ranking at his or her discretion.

The actual hiring will be done by the department chair, who will do so as staffing needs become established. This sometimes takes place very late in the summer. The chair may apply a variety of criteria, including courses to be covered, budgetary considerations, affirmative action, and maintaining openness to new applicants with especially desirable qualifications.

ESL Teaching Opportunities For Graduate Students In Linguistics

Graduate students in Linguistics have the opportunity to teach ESL composition classes in the Department of Linguistics & Oriental Languages and the Department of Rhetoric & Writing Studies (DRWS). Linguistics MA students serve as Graduate Teaching Associates or “GTAs” and may teach one or two sections per semester for up to four semesters. Normally, most sections of the following classes are taught by GTAs from the Linguistics MA program:

• RWS 94: Developmental writing for ESL/bilingual students
• RWS 281: Academic reading and writing for second language students
• Linguistics 100: English composition for ESL/bilingual students
• Linguistics 200: Intermediate composition for bilingual/international students
• Linguistics 305W: Advanced composition for upper division bilingual/international students

Graduate students in the ESL/Applied specialization are encouraged to begin tutoring and teaching early in their degree program. Both of these opportunities provide excellent practical experience to complement your studies in applied linguistics. For questions about the program and teaching in either department, please contact Dr. Deborah Poole at (619)594-5914 or dpoole@mail.sdsu.edu.

Hiring considerations and requirements:

• In order to teach one of the DRWS or Linguistics ESL courses, a graduate student must have completed Linguistics 550 (or equivalent) and at least one semester of DRWS tutoring (or have prior ESL/EFL teaching experience).
• GTAs must be in good standing in the MA program and be making satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
• Students who have completed or will complete advanced level courses related to second language learning (especially Linguistics 653 and 652) are given preference in hiring.

Tutoring:

The Department of Rhetoric & Writing Studies (DRWS) employs tutors in sections of RWS 94 and 281 each semester. The tutor works with an experienced teacher, assisting with group work, reading/responding to student writing, and conferencing with students on a regular basis. These positions are usually filled by beginning graduate students in Linguistics and are an excellent way to become acquainted with the ESL program and student population at SDSU.

Applying For Teachign (GTA) And Tutoring Positions:

Your application for a GTA position should include the following:

• SDSU Application for Teaching or Graduate Assistantship (requires Acrobat Reader)
• Current resume
• A 2-3 page statement of interest, including your current views of second language teaching, especially as related to academic reading and writing
• A writing sample (preferably a recent course paper)
• Two letters of recommendation (which can be sent by email to dpoole@mail.sdsu.edu.)

Applications for GTA positions should be submitted by November 15 for the following spring semester, and April 20 for the following fall. GTA applications should be sent to:

Deborah Poole
Department of Linguistics & Asian/Middle Eastern Languages
MC 7727
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7727

Tutor applications are available in the DRWS office, Nasatir Hall 227, or by telephoning (619) 594-6515 to request an application. Interviews for tutoring positions for the spring semester are scheduled in November and December and for the fall semester in May and June.

For Additional Information Contact:

Michael Underwood, Tutorial Program Coordinator
Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4452
(619) 594-5776 or dpoole@mail.sdsu.edu

Hebrew

For teaching opportunities in the Hebrew program, please contact:

Dr. Zev bar-Lev
Email: zev.bar-Lev@sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-6389
Location: BA-319

Chinese

Contingent upon budget and needs, teaching assistantship is sometimes available for grading and classroom assistance. Interested students should contact Chinese language faculty at the beginning of the semester to inquire about possible assistantship opportunities. For further information, please contact:

Dr. Zheng-sheng Zhang
Email:zzhang@mail.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-1912
Location: BA-418A

Japanese

Graduate students in linguistics will have an opportunity to teach Japanese as a Graduate Teaching Associate when there is an opening. In order to be qualified, they must (a) successfully complete the following three courses: Linguistics 420 or 520, Linguistics 550, and Japanese 499, and (b) receive a positive recommendation from the Japanese 499's supervising instructor.

Currently all graduate students in linguistics who are native speakers of Japanese are teaching as GTAs. They are fully responsible for their own six-unit courses. This is a tremendous opportunity to build your professional career as a linguist.

For more information, please contact the Director of the Japanese Language Program:

Dr. Yoshiko Higurashi
Email:yhigurashi@mail.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-1005
Location: BA-323

Community Outreach program positions

Positions for graduate students in linguistics are available every semester in a nearby after-school program ("The Looking-Glass Neighborhood") administered by the Department of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages. Each semester, our MA students hold 3-4 'Graduate Assistantships' in LGN; these vary from 10-20 hours in the fall and 5-20 hours in the spring. In this program, MA students play educational games with the children at Rosa Parks Elementary School while also working with San Diego State undergraduates (future elementary teachers) on research projects for their course in language acquisition. Graduate students from all three specializations have enjoyed participating and working in this innovative and exciting program.

Research Lab positions

Students in the Computational Linguistics program are eligible to apply for the Computational Linguistics lab Graduate Assistantship. The Comp Ling Lab GA will be trained in basic system administration tasks such as system backups, security troubleshooting, software installation and upgrade, server and web site maintenance. The Comp Ling lab GA also serves as a source of help and advice for users of the lab.