The TEPAIC exam is given to all English Second Language (ESL) international students wishing to become Associate Instructors (AIs). The exam is conducted 100% remotely via Zoom. Below you will find explanations to various aspects of the exam process including who proctors the exam and when and if you can expect to receive feedback.
Exam details
- What will the TEPAIC interview be like?
Component Time Description Sample questions Warm-up 5 min. Questions about contact information (i.e., address, email) and personal life (e.g., hobbies) How do you like Bloomington so far? Field of study 5 min. Questions about the interviewee’s research interests with follow-up questions Tell us about your research interests. Future direction 5 min. Questions about future and hypothetical situations Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Evaluation criteria Aural proficiency Question comprehension and appropriate response Pronunciation Comprehensibility at the level of consonants, vowels, intonation, word stress, and enunciation Language Grammar and vocabulary Communicative and organizational strategies Arguments and explanations with appropriate examples and reasons at paragraph-level discourse, and awareness of listener Fluency Appropriate speed, pauses, and intonation - I received a score after taking the TEPAIC. What does it mean?
Level Decision Descriptors C2 Approved Although not native-like, the speaker can handle any communicative situation which presents itself; intonation and pronunciation, although non-native, do not impede understanding; grammar and vocabulary are sophisticated, with only occasional errors; communication breakdowns are easily overcome through repair strategies. C3 Approved with reservations The speaker, although non-native in intonation and pronunciation, is yet able to negotiate any topic with minimal difficulty; grammar and vocabulary are adequate, although less sophisticated than C2, the speaker uses a variety of communicative strategies to overcome deficiencies in other areas; the speaker may have occasional communication breakdowns, but can successfully employ appropriate repair strategies. NC4 Review / minor language training needed Some or all of the criteria in the categories listed above are inadequate; intonation and pronunciation are impediments to comprehension; grammar and vocabulary are rudimentary; a halting presentation style shows difficulty in accessing aspects of language structure; a speeded up style indicates lack of awareness of prosodic elements (grammatical constructions, discourse features such as question and statement intonation, etc.); inappropriate response shows lack of comprehension on the speakers' part; the speaker lacks repair strategies to negotiate communication breakdowns. NC5 Extensive language training required Communication is difficult because of severe problems in some or all of the areas listed in NC4. Pronunciation, intonation, grammar, vocabulary and comprehension may all show problems significant enough to render understanding problematic; communication strategies, even if present, cannot compensate for the severity of deficiencies. An interviewee who receives NC5 was probably not prepared for participation in this test and may need significant training time in order to successfully complete it. - Who are the TEPAIC interviewers?
The TEPAIC interviewers are trained graduate students from the Department of Second Language Studies. All have advanced degrees in linguistics and/or second language instruction as well as many years of experience in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and testing. Their training as interviewers, moreover, is on-going, with training and calibration sessions conducted quarterly.
- Can I get feedback for my performance at the TEPAIC interview?
Departments and students can request feedback on their performance by sending an email to tepaic@iu.edu.
However, during certain times of the year when testing volume is particularly high, it may take longer than usual to receive a reply to a feedback request.
- Are there any resources to help me prepare for the exam?
You can enroll in SLST-T502: Communication Skills for International Associate Instructors. The primary objective of this course is to help international students become effective teachers in the U.S. classroom. This course addresses the communication, teaching, and cultural issues that international students are likely to confront as an associate instructor at Indiana University. Type “SLST T 502” on iGPS to find the course.
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