Foreign
TAs to
mas te
English
By JIM VANA3
Students who have had teaching,
assistants with an inability to speak .
fluent English may get some relief
from an intensive training program
that will help TAs learn more than
just English.'
Beverly Black, director of the
Center for Research on Learning ando
Teaching (CRLT), said the training
workshop for foreign TAs is not
only teaching the TAs how to speak
English fluently, but it is also
teaching them about American cul-
ture and dealing with student expec-
tations.
The third-year program is a three
week intensive workshop that meets.
five days a week for up to six hours
a day.
"I see a lot of improvement in the
TAs' ability to communicate effec-
tively after they have taken the~
workshop," she said.
All foreign-born TAs must pass-
an English proficiency test given by Doily Photo by SCOTT uTUCHY
the English Language Institute
(ELI). Until the implementation of Pigeon-proofing
the workshop, however, there was Plant Department worker Otto Manke drills into the
no preparatory aid offered to the for- graduate library as Grounds Department worker Art Grisson
eign TAs. operates the boom. The two are installing a mesh to keep
"They could take a few supple- pigeons from sitting on the ledge.
mentary English courses if they
failed the test, but there was no-
l:erpcr SACUA to develop
now requires all foreign TAs in the By LISA POLLAK tion.
college to take the workshop. Last year the loudest voices in the SACUA member Glenda Haskell
LSA's Associate Dean for Cur- racism controversy came from angry a social science research associate
riculum and Long Range Planning students and frustrated administra- stressed that as an advisory commit
Jack Meiland said LSA Dean Peter tors, but today's meeting of the tee SACUA must be careful not t
Steiner initiated the workshop after Senate Advisory Committee on develop policy or plan that extends
the many complaints from students University Affairs (SACUA) will try beyond its jurisdiction - the faculty
regarding foreign TAs. Steiner t develop a faculty voice with a Senate Assembly and its various
decided that TAs should have to meet concrete and audible response. committees.
stricter criteria, such as higher scores SACUA Chair Harris McClam- McClamroch added that the job o
on the required English proficiency roch, an aerospace engineering pro- bringing issues of diversity into the
test, before allowing them to teach. fessor, said he hopes today's meeting classroom would be more appropri
In addition to learning English, will finally determine a "set of ately initiated by deans and executive
one of the biggest challenges facing activities through which the faculty officers than by individual SACUA
Black is getting foreign TAs used to might improve the cultural climate members, although "deans are mor
the American way of teaching. and increase cultural diversity" after likely to act if some advisory body
Koreans, who make up the largest three consecutive weeks o f
ethnic group at the University and "brainstorming" meetings.
one-third of the new TAs, come But prior to today's meeting,
from vastly different cultural and ed- some SACUA members were still
ucational backgrounds than the uncertain as to the nature of these
American students they have to activities, citing instead the areas JAPANESE RESTA
teach. inappropriate for faculty interven-
The Michigan Daily, Friday, August 7, 1987- Page5
Peace march to
end in Detroit
By DAHLIA DEAN
The 1987 Michigan Peace March
for Global Nuclear Disarmament will
end this Sunday in Detroit after trav-
eling 700 miles through 17 Michi-
gan cities.
"One of our greatest accom-
plishments has been the building of a
sense of peace community in Michi-
gan - the kind of work that only
personal contact can do," said Jackie
Victor, a participant in the march
since its beginning, and chair of the
Michigan Student Assembly's Peace
and Justice Committee.
Their journey, which began in
Sault Ste. Marie on May 31, includ-
ed a stop last weekend in Ann Arbor.
Justin Schwartz, the editor of the
Michigan Alliance for Disarmament,
said more than 400 people gathered at
West Park to welcome the marchers.
Mary Disken, a co-coordinator of
the march, said, "There was a real
nice turnout and a great rally Satur-
day afternoon in Ann Arbor. It's a
great soft spot - the people are de-
lightful and real friendly."
The marchers only opposition
came from four or five people in
Lansing, she added. The demonstra-
tors criticized the goals of the Peace
March which are to rid the world of
nuclear weapons, and an economic
reallocation from weapons manufac-
turing to human needs. Disken said
that in general, the state has been
very friendly and supportive.
"Reduction of nuclear arms is a
common denominator which brings
people together," she said. "It is our
responsibility to give people a vehi-
cle for this type of action." Disken
thinks the March provides state resi-
dents with such a vehicle.
She said people who never had the
chance to take action against the is-
sue of nuclear arms were able to
voice their concerns about the arms
race.
"The march convinces me that
political work has got to include
more outreach to get out of our
political energy in Ann Arbor," said
Victor.
Kim Groome, a volunteer publi-
cist for the march said the journey
"has touched a great many people's
lives."
Groome hopes "that people realize
that there is something we can do
about reducing nuclear arms. It takes
people and it takes an effort."
Yesterday the marchers were in
Walled Lake at Williams
International, where small gas tur-
bine engines such as the cruise mis-
sile engines are built. They held a
memorial service for the Hiroshima
victims there to commiserate over
the lives lost by the first atomic
bomb launched 42 years ago. Today,
the marchers are in the heart of
Birmingham, tomorrow in Bloom-
field, and on Sunday they will end
the march in Detroit.
response to racism
is offering some positive advice." ideas developed at past in
And despite the success of the with the aid of University S
workshops on racial awareness and Professor Mark Chesler we
- sensitivity presented to administra- duce a multi-faceted faculty
o tors and SACUA represeitatives in to fighting racism at today's
s June, McClamroch said logistics "The faculty will be ra
Y would prevent him from organizing sues, raising consciousnt
s a similar program for all faculty. raising awareness on camp
"It's very difficult to set up year," she said.
f sensitivity training that can be
e effective for large groups. It's not
- something you can do in a few
hours," he said.
A But SACUA member Wendy
e Lougee, head of the Graduate Li-
y brary, said she had no doubts that the
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