Placement Procedures for the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Courses (ESL 504, 506, 508, & 510)

Enrollment in the ITA courses is open to international graduate students only. Visiting Scholars and Post-Docs may not enroll in the ITA courses.

The EPT is not required for any course in the ITA sequence.

For ESL 504 and 506, the screening test for ITAs (the Oral English Assessment Interview, OEAI) is not required for enrollment. However, information from the OEAI score report can be useful in determining the course best suited to a particular student’s needs. See guidelines below.  For ESL 508, the OEAI is required prior to enrollment and the course is restricted to students who received a score of 3 (equivalent to a 4CP prior to February 2024) or higher.

Guidelines for selecting the appropriate ITA course

• ESL 504: OEAI score of 1 or 2 showing a need for support related to accurate pronunciation of sounds, words, or rhythm.  Or previous completion of ESL 506.
• ESL 506: OEAI score of 1 or 2 showing a need for support related to fluency, rhythm, content development or organization.  Or previous completion of ESL 504.
• ESL 510: OEAI score of 1 or 2 showing a need for support related to accurate pronunciation of sounds, words, rhythm, or fluency. Or previous completion of ESL 506.
• ESL 508: OEAI score of 3 (equivalent to a 4CP prior to February 2024) or higher.

For further information, please contact the ITA course coordinator, Suzanne Franks (scfranks@illinois.edu).