TEACHING

The UCSB Department of Linguistics places high value on the role of graduate students in providing an excellent education to its undergraduate students, and it strives to prepare its graduate students for successful careers as teachers. All graduate students receive an opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant in linguistics undergraduate courses; first-time TAs receive training in teaching linguistics through the department’s Teaching Assistant Seminar. In addition, faculty members provide mentoring and feedback to their TAs each quarter.

Students who plan a career in academia should work to achieve excellence as teachers by taking advantage of the teaching resources at UCSB. The Teaching Assistant Development Program provides an annual TA orientation as well as individual consultations with graduate students. Many graduate students in linguistics earn the university Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT). In addition, TAs are eligible to apply for Teaching Assistant Instructional Grants to make improvements to courses that they teach. Students with truly exceptional teaching records may be nominated by the department for university-wide teaching awards; competitions are announced annually.