Fulbright University TA Pedagogy RESOURCES
UNIVERSITIES WITH FULBRIGHT TAS
A private, international university with campuses in Madrid and Segovia. IE’s 7,000 students come from 100 different countries; 70% are international students, and 30% are Spanish students. All degree programs are conducted in English. If you are placed at IE, you will work in the Language Center, the office that “supports the educational and administrative language needs” of IE undergraduate students (Kelley et al 1). You will work in the Writing Center, offering one-on-one appointments, workshops, and online resources to students, and you will also teach English staff classes.
Check out the IE Online Student Learning Guide, which was developed by Fulbright 2020-2021 IE teaching assistants.
IE at a glance: 
- A private, international university focused on Business
- Campuses in Madrid and Segovia
- 7,000 students
- Come from 100 different countries
- 70% are international students
- 30% are Spanish students.
- All degree programs conducted in English
- Fulbright TAs will work at the Language Center
A private university established in 2000 with campuses in Villafranca del Castillo (Madrid suburbs) and Almagro (Madrid city center). At the Villafranca campus, UCJC offers bachelor’s degrees in three departments: Communication & Humanities, Education & Health, and Technology & Science. UCJC’s Graduate School is located at Campus Almagro, along with select bachelor’s programs. Undergraduate degrees are taught in English and Spanish, though certain International degrees are taught fully in English.
UCJC at a glance:
- Private university established in 2000
- 3,500 students
- Campuses: Villafranca del Castillo (Madrid suburbs) and Almagro (Madrid city center)
- Villafranca campus:
- Bachelor’s degrees in three departments: Communication & Humanities, Education & Health, and Technology & Science.
- Campus Almagro:
- UCJC’s Graduate School and select bachelor’s programs.
- Villafranca campus:
- Undergraduate degrees taught in English and Spanish, though certain International degrees taught fully in English.
A large public university established in 1972, with campuses in El Ejido and Teatinos. UMA offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs to its 35,000 students, and it is known for its commitment to research. Many of UMA’s students commute from Málaga city and nearby towns, though some students come from other regions of Spain and abroad. In addition, Málaga has become a very popular study abroad destination, and each year, UMA welcomes over 1600 international exchange students from across Europe and Latin America, as well as East Asia, and the United States. Most UMA degrees are taught fully in Spanish, but many degree programs offer optional classes taught in English, and in some majors, English coursework may be required.
UMA at a glance:
- Large public university established in 1972
- Campuses: El Ejido and Teatinos
- Wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs
- 35,000 students
- Most local, but 1600 annual international exchange students
- Most degrees are taught fully in Spanish, but offer optional classes in English
- Some majors, English coursework required
A large public university in Tenerife, with a community of over 25,000 students, faculty, and staff members. As the oldest higher education institution in the Canary Islands, the Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) has over two hundred years of history, beginning in 1792 when King Carlos IV signed a decree for its foundation. After several name changes and stages, ULL obtained its current name in 1913 and continues to offer a range of graduate and undergraduate programs to students in the Canary Islands. The primary language of instruction is Spanish, though ULL offers select courses in English.
ULL at a glance:
- Large public university in Tenerife
- Offers undergraduate and graduate programs
- Over 25,000 students, faculty, and staff members
- Oldest higher education institution in the Canary Islands
- 1792 when King Carlos IV signed a decree for foundation
- 1913: Obtained its current name in 1913
- Primary language of instruction is Spanish, with select courses in English
As a University TA, you’ll discover that universities are complex systems and that your experience at your host institution might look quite different from another grantee’s, even if you’re placed at the same university. However, a common thread among the university experience is that in addition to providing formal classroom assistance, you’ll also engage in other teaching activities, from one-on-one tutoring to conversation classes for staff. While it is difficult to make generalizations about the University TA role, you may be asked to facilitate the following teaching activities:
Formal classroom assistance: Supporting the professor through co-teaching, leading parts of lectures, facilitating class discussions or debates, or assisting with group work. You’re probably most familiar with this part of your role, as it isn’t too different from the ETA role at other levels.
Guest lectures: Professors might also invite you to speak for one or two classes on a particular topic, i.e. Thanksgiving or another U.S. holiday, or academic writing in English.
Tutoring: You might hold office hours for students in your class to receive one-on-one assistance with English or class projects. Some University TAs may also work at the Writing Center, offering tutoring sessions to students across degree programs and academic levels.
Conversation classes for staff: You might hold one-on-one or group conversation classes for professors to practice English and/or review teaching materials.
Workshops: You might lead or co-lead workshops on a specific topic for interested students. Past workshops include Academic Writing, Thesis Writing, CV/Resume Workshop, and Presentation Skills.
Extracurricular classes: Similar to workshops, but over a longer time period. Past TAs have planned optional classes for interested students. For example, a TA led a Business English class for graduate students.
Differences in the Spanish University System
One of the biggest differences you’ll notice is that degree programs are more structured in Spain than they are in the U.S. Since the admissions process is based on whether students meet the qualifications for a particular major, students enter a particular facultad (department) and immediately begin taking classes in the major; students do not take university-wide general education or core classes. In fact, students in the same major take the same courses each semester, and the schedule is already set; students do not take elective classes, and they only take classes with those in their major.
Most degree programs have a morning track (turno de mañana) and an afternoon/evening track (turno de tarde); some students will attend class from the morning (8:00 or 9:00 am) until lunchtime, and the next group of students will have classes from mid-afternoon until the evening (20:00 or 21:00). The exact time frames will vary by facultad, but you might work with classes from either or both tracks, meaning that as University TAs, you will likely experience more variance in your schedule than TAs placed at other levels.
Each facultad essentially functions as an independent school, with its own building, administration, and facilities, including its own library and cafetería.
Spanish students are graded on a scale of 1 through 10, with 5 as the minimum score required to pass the course. Students very rarely receive scores of 9 or 10; 7s and 8s are considered solid grades. It’s also more common to fail courses or exams, and then repeat the course the next semester or year. The final grade usually consists of scores from midterms, final exams, or other cumulative assessments, rather than class participation or attendance, which is encouraged but not mandatory. You might also notice that professors post exam scores outside the classroom door, which is not viewed as a big deal. If students initially fail an exam, they will have the opportunity to retake it, as universities have a period reserved for retaking exams.
Students generally do not live in dorms in Spain; students often live at home and commute daily to local universities. However, some students live in shared apartments in the university town or city, especially those studying in a city or region far from their hometown.
Students attend university to get an education, so while campus organizations and clubs exist, they are less prevalent than at U.S. universities. Schools do not have Greek life or sports teams, and socializing primarily takes place off-campus. That said, you’ll always find students chatting in your facultad cafetería, which can be a great place to meet with faculty or students for coffee or lunch. IE University and UCJC in particular also have many clubs and student organizations. Many schools also have a student government system (delegación de alumnos) and volunteering offices.
Inside the Classroom
Past grantees have found effective strategies for promoting a positive classroom culture and cultivating an environment of mutual respect. The following suggestions might help you navigate your interactions with students:
- Work with professors to make your activities and/or assignments part of the students’ grade. If you’re offering tutoring hours or small group consultations, make those obligatory or part of the “lab” component of class. Incentivizing students will increase participation and engagement with your activities
- If necessary for a class, start off the year more firm than you would like to be, with clear expectations for class participation and assignments.
- You might notice that there is a baseline level of noise that might be higher than you are used to. Though it might sound unnecessary since your students are adults, you might briefly explain aspects of US classroom culture that you might expect when teaching (such as students listening silently when a professor or peer is talking).
- Set communication boundaries: let students know how/when they can reach you outside of class. For instance, you’ll want to share your email address rather than a phone number, and let students know that you’ll respond quickly during weekdays, but that you might be away from work email on weekends and later at night. In addition, encourage students to contact you in advance of an assignment due date, as you might not be able to respond to last-minute questions.
- Another email tip: Hold a brief email-writing tutorial early on in the year, which will help you clarify expectations and teach your students a valuable written English skill!
- Model the work you assign your students, which will make instructions as well as expectations for quality clear
One of the most exciting parts of the University TA role is that many of your students will be young locals close to your age, which can greatly facilitate your – and their – experience in the classroom, especially in the context of language learning., Your students may feel more comfortable speaking English with you due to your age and your role as a TA, since you have little to no control over grades. However, it is important to still maintain professionalism and boundaries with your students, as this can affect their approach to the activities you facilitate.
While past grantees have enjoyed getting to know their students, some have mentioned that occasionally, the students will see them more as a peer than an instructor, and that they’ve had difficulty getting students to take their assignments seriously or even complete them. In some instances, students have also made unprofessional comments to TAs that may seem more direct than you are used to hearing in the U.S.
Your relationships with professors will likely be very enriching as well – you’ll get to know older locals, learn more about living and working in Spain during other times, and also likely develop a bit of knowledge about the course content, even if it is outside of your own academic interests or background. You’ll have the opportunity to work with experts across many different disciplines, which can be exciting, but you may at times find yourself navigating complex power dynamics and blurry personal and professional boundaries.
You are not a student, so the professor might view your relationship closer to that of a peer or colleague. At the same time, the professor is an expert in their field and you are a teaching assistant, which means that there is still an uneven power dynamic with regard to hierarchy – the professor is, to some degree, a supervisor – and academic training – you do not have a doctorate, and your degree might not relate to their background at all. However, they may still regard you as the “expert” in English.
TAs are not responsible for course content delivery, but rather lectures, class discussions, or other teaching activities related to practicing oral or written English. Your teaching activities could relate to course content but do not require technical knowledge of a particular course.
Teaching Techniques & Strategies
You may teach in any number of facultades, from computer science to English literature, as well as students of all ages, academic levels, and language backgrounds, from first-year students to tenured professors. Therefore, you must learn how to adapt your skills to a range of teaching contexts and be flexible in your practice, understanding that each facultad functions a bit differently, and each major has different content and language objectives for students.
When approaching each teaching situation, remember your audience and purpose:
- Audience: the person or group to whom you are communicating/teaching
- Your students: Who are they? What discipline? What academic level? English proficiency?
- Purpose: what you want your audience to learn
- What skills should students develop, and for which academic and professional contexts, and what will those skills enable students to do in their field (i.e. objectives and goals)?
If you understand your students’ needs and language backgrounds, as well as the objectives of your workshop or lesson, you will be able to develop teaching activities that engage your students and help them meet those goals. In the beginning, you might not understand the needs of your students, so you should talk to them and the professor to gauge their language background, assignments required for the course and for their degree, and if applicable, the kinds of professional situations your students will encounter in which they will need to draw on oral or written communication skills. Questions to ask your professors and students:
- What kind of English writing/speaking is required for this degree?
- What kinds of assignments/forms of writing do students engage in?
- What skills do students need to complete this work, and in what academic or professional contexts will they use them?
You can also use the internet to conduct your own research! You don’t need to become a content expert, but knowing a little bit about the discipline will help you adapt your lessons from one discipline to the next in a more precise, relevant way. For instance, if you’re holding a CV/resume workshop for computer science students, it can be helpful to provide your students with useful verbs to express their technical experience or remind them to list coding languages in the “skills” section.
''The Hits''
If you’re working for professors across disciplines, you might be wondering if you can adapt your lessons from one facultad to the next … and the answer is often yes, especially if you teach one of “the hits”: some of the most-requested or taught lessons, according to past University TAs. The wonderful aspect of the “hits” are that they can be adapted across disciplines and academic levels, as they often address core skills that are important across professional and academic contexts: writing, oral presentations, and business communication.
Topics you may cover:: brainstorming or research questions, formulating a thesis, organization, topic sentences, paragraph structure, citations, grammar, revision strategies, and citations. You might also talk about differences between writing in English versus writing in Spanish, such as the emphasis on brevity and clarity in English.
How to adapt it: Since writing is a fundamental skill, you’ll be able to transfer many strategies from one facultad to another. However, the structure of academic papers can vary from one discipline to another, as can style and citation requirements. If in doubt, speak with the professor and ask for a sample paper, so that you can understand its components and organization. In addition, the level of the class can determine the type of writing assignment required for students; fourth-year students and graduate students write longer papers, such as the trabajo fin de grado and theses, while other undergraduate students might write shorter papers or even paragraphs. Again, it’s best to consult with the professor to understand exactly what kind of assignments they require, the skills the students are expected to learn, and the best time for you to conduct a lesson. With an understanding of assignment parameters and class needs, you’ll identify the focus of your lesson or workshop: for instance, whether it’s a brainstorming session or a revision workshop, or if you’ll work with students on shorter writing (i.e summarizing an article) or longer projects.
Topics to cover: Writing emails in English (i.e. setting up a meeting, RSVPing to a meeting, asking for a letter of recommendation, etc), CVs/resumes, cover letters, general differences between American and Spanish work culture. As well: general office vocabulary, business hierarchy vocabulary, vocabulary to describe professions, speaking on the phone, banking and money, leaving a message, general differences between American and Spanish work culture
How to adapt it: Sessions that focus on skills like writing emails can be adapted to a variety of disciplinary contexts. For CVs/resumes, it can be helpful to create a sample resume based on professional and academic experiences your students might have at their level. You might also want to research verbs that describe tasks that your students could complete in their discipline. For instance, if you are speaking to computer science students, you can include a list of verbs that describe technical skills and suggest that your students list their coding languages in the “Skills” section of their CV/resume.
Topics to cover: General public speaking, designing slides/visual aids, individual and group presentations, class debates, conference presentations. As another note, you’ll have to emphasize use of graphics and brief phrasing when creating slides, as your students might be used to text-heavy presentations.
How to adapt it: Adapt the oral presentations to the types of public speaking situations students will face in their discipline. For example, for graduate students, you’ll want to talk about conference presentations, and as with academic writing, check in with your professors to confirm the structure of these presentations. Plan debate topics that relate to the course content. If you’re not familiar with the subject, ask your students to teach you about a topic in their field; this is also a great exercise for them to explain complex topics in simple terms. As an example, my students worked in pairs and made brief presentations, with accompanying slides, on computer science topics, which I knew nothing about. Through visuals and real-world examples, they were able to communicate concepts in a way I could understand as an outsider.
Topics to cover: General, commonly-asked job interview questions; if applicable, a few field-specific questions. Ahead of the mock interviews, I like to make a sheet for students with typical questions and answers, so that they are familiar with the kinds of phrasing they might use. Then, I ask them to outline their own potential answer to these questions before their scheduled interview time. If it’s a small class, you might be able to interview students one-on-one, or conduct optional one-on-one interviews in office hours, but if it’s a larger class, work with the professor to group students by English level and conduct group interviews, calling on students at random to answer particular questions.
How to adapt it: Do a little research ahead of time to see if particular fields require certain questions or tasks for an interview. For the mock interview, give students a scenario that corresponds with their chosen career path.
lesson planning
When creating a lesson plan you should always take into consideration the materials you will need and how easy or difficult it is to get them. If you will need photocopies, do you have to leave them in the office a day or two ahead of time or can you use the photocopier directly? Is Internet access reliable or spotty in your school? It is best to ask your bilingual coordinator and co-teachers these questions directly at the beginning of the year so that you are prepared from Day One (or Two).
When organizing a lesson plan, there should be:
- a clear objective stating what the students will be learning that day,
- an introductory activity or review of routines to bring the students to attention,
- the instruction of the day or main material of the lesson,
- a group or partner activity that engages the material of the day,
- an individual activity that ensures each student has time to practice the material of the day, and
- a short assessment to verify students’ level of understanding with the material.
Note: When dealing with computers, the Internet, Smartboards, or other technology, remember that you must always have a plan B. And, of course, always have something up your sleeve for that fateful day when even your Plan B goes awry. Be it a worksheet or two to give you time to think, a review or conversation game, or a recycled lesson from another class, always have something that you can do to either allow you to think or to fill those 50 minutes (or however long it takes to get whatever does not work fixed) in a productive way.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, your university may likely operate in hybrid, or bimodal learning form. In this section, we want to outline a few strategies for making the most of the online portion of your classes.
Before class:
- Gain familiarity with your university’s virtual platform early on. Whichever platform your school uses, make sure you have access to it, which may come with a university email account or ID. When you have this access, watch tutorials on how to use the platform (usually on the homepage): for instance, uploading files, creating discussion threads, assigning an activity, creating a unit, or joining the virtual classroom.
- Make sure you have access to each virtual classroom. Each of your classes will have its own page, so make sure that your professors add you to the course, preferably as an instructor so that you can add content. Practice logging on to the site before the first class and notify the professor if you have any issues.
- Practice connecting to the video platform ahead of class. Check to make sure you can share your screen and that your audio and visual is functioning properly. Whichever link the professor provides, whether through email or the course site, make sure that you can access it and that it works. In addition, it’s helpful if the professor adds you as a moderator so that you can (depending on the platform) create breakout rooms and share your screen.
- Send your materials to the professor ahead of class, or if possible, upload the materials to the class website. If you have any technical issues, the professor can pull up the materials on their screen, or students can retrieve the presentations from the virtual platform and follow along by themselves.
- When planning, subtract a few minutes to account for technical issues. Every class, some students or the professor (or you!) will encounter some sort of issue with audio, video, screen sharing, or breakout rooms. Account for this when designing your activities and lectures.
During class:
- Arrive on time or a few minutes early, but wait a few minutes for the majority of students to connect. University classes in Spain often don’t start exactly on time, and with online connectivity issues, students may need a few extra minutes to join. However, if more than five minutes have gone by, message the professor and ask if you may begin, if you’re the first one speaking.
- Encourage your students to use the chat to comment, ask questions, or answer questions you have for them. Every few slides, pause and take a look at the chat to address any concerns, especially related to language or vocabulary you’re using. If your students have technical issues with their video, the chat is also a good place for them to answer discussion questions.
- Break up your presentation with discussion questions, fun quizzes, or multiple choice questions. Longer questions can allow students to expand on their thoughts and practice speaking in front of the group, but multiple choice questions – answered over the chat – can engage more reticent students. Humor can always liven the mood and break up the monotony.
- If possible, use breakout rooms, but know that it may reduce your lecture time. Breakout rooms can be great for group work, but it also takes a minute to move students in breakout rooms, a minute to move them out of the breakout rooms, and more time if a student accidentally disconnects. If you plan to use breakout rooms, factor in that time and if possible, ask the professor to help place students in rooms if someone disconnects, or someone is accidentally alone in a room.
- Recognize that technical issues can and will occur, and it’s okay. You, the professor, and your students will experience technical issues at some point or another – and that’s okay! Remain flexible and patient, and adjust your timeline if necessary.
After class:
- Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. When were students most engaged? Which features of the online platform worked best for discussion and group work? When did students seem lost? Thinking through these questions can help you plan more effective lessons in the future.
- Upload your presentation to the online platform, or share your work with the professor to distribute to students. Especially if your students had technical issues or couldn’t attend class, it’s helpful to make your activity accessible via the class website.
Pro tip: Check out the IE Online Student Learning Guide, which was developed by Fulbright 2020-2021 IE teaching assistants.
- In the first five minutes: Have a chat with the client, ask them to describe their assignment and the objectives for the session. Essentially, this time is a bit of a negotiation – you’re gauging the client’s goals, the assignment they have brought in, and how these variables align with the tutor role and the allotted time. Sometimes clients will come in with unrealistic expectations about the Center, and this is a good time to (gently!) adjust them: for instance, they might ask you to read a 15-page paper in half an hour, and you may have to ask them to choose a section they’re most concerned about and model strategies that they can apply to the rest of the paper, or encourage them to make an additional, follow-up appointment.
- Create a Hierarchy of Needs: Time is the most valuable asset in a writing appointment, so you should prioritize structure, organization, flow, and argument – the essence of the paper’s argument – rather than fixating on grammar issues. A “hierarchy of needs” will allow you to prioritize the more important elements, while reserving time for other aspects of writing; a paper’s argument is more important than its style and grammar, although you can address the ladder after the former has been established.
- Confirm the due date. If you know what kind of timeline you’re working with, you’ll also know which issues to prioritize. If the paper is due tomorrow, you might not be able to make larger, structural changes. If you have a longer timeline, you might be able to schedule time to work with the student again before the assignment is due and focus on more global issues. On the other hand, sentence-level edits may not be as practical to focus on, since those sentences will likely change if the student makes larger-scale revisions.
- Read the paper (or a section of the paper) out loud. This strategy can help the client take a more active role in the appointment, as well as catch surface errors and awkward places. By having the client read the paper out loud or reading the paper yourself, you’ll also avoid potentially those awkward five minutes when you might read the paper while your client sits silently or does another task.
- Ask questions! Challenge your students to explain their argument to you, and ask for clarification on ideas or sections that are unclear. By explaining their ideas to you, students take a more active, engaging role in the session, and they may also identify issues or gaps in logic on their own.
- Types of questions you might find helpful:
- General: “Can you explain your argument to me?” “What is the main point you want to make with this paper?” “What evidence do you use to support your argument?” “What information does a reader need to know to understand your argument?”
- Clarifying questions: If you’re not sure what the student is trying to express in a section, you might want to paraphrase and reflect their ideas back to them: “By (phrase in question), do you mean x (potential interpretation of idea), or do you mean y (another interpretation of the idea)?” “Could you explain more about x idea?”
- If the argument is underdeveloped: “If x is true, then what are the implications on y?” “How do we move from (one component of an argument) to (another component of an argument)? What are the assumptions that we make to arrive at this idea?” For some students, ideas may come across more clearly in speech, so if a student explains a concept particularly well, encourage them to write it down!
- Types of questions you might find helpful:
- Model revision techniques and strategies! Modeling can be a great strategy for a variety of questions or issues that arise in your session. If you notice a recurring grammar issue, show the student how to fit it. If the organization of the paper is unclear, create an outline with the student. Later on in the session, see if your student can identify similar issues without prompting and make revisions.
(Usually) don’t make direct edits! Use your best judgment depending on the situation, but generally, when students make changes, edits, or comments themselves, it allows them to take ownership of their paper and find solutions for themselves. In some situations, especially if the student is a visual learner, it can be helpful to model a grammar rule or certain sentence structures on the page for clarification purposes, but the next time you notice the mistake or error, challenge your student to identify and revise it themselves.
Asignatura: Subject or course. You’ll work with specific asignaturas.
Calendario académico: Academic calendar. Lists the semester start and end dates, holidays, and exam periods. Each facultad will have its own version.
Carrera: Major
Facultad: Academic department or school within the university, i.e. la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Each facultad will house a group of related majors; for instance, Filosofía y Letras may include Historia, Estudios Ingleses, Traducción e Interpretación, etc .
Grado: undergraduate degree; first cycle established in the Bologna Process.
Guía docente de la asignatura: Lists the professors, course content, objectives, skills, methods of evaluation, and bibliography (course texts). Kind of like a syllabus, but not broken down week-by-week. Note that it’s common for multiple professors to teach a course, and that the professor might switch at some point in the course.
Horario: Semester schedule specific to each major and academic year. You will likely find this information by visiting a particular facultad website, then selecting a particular major, and then a particular semester. Since all students within a major take the same classes, the schedule will be the same for all students within a particular year, save for whether the student is in the morning or afternoon group.
Posgrado: Graduate degree. Includes maestría and doctorado.
Primer cuatrimestre: First semester
Segundo cuatrimestre: Second semester
Trabajo fin de grado (TFM): End-of-degree projects for students. May be required depending on the major. Can consist of a long paper, similar to a thesis. Students will likely seek your help on writing their trabajo fin de grado in English.
Remember! For more in-depth information about any of these topics, please refer to the full University Pedagogy Guide. For University teaching resources sorted by category, please refer to the Fulbright University Google Drive.