The study of the meaning of words, sentences, and discourse and elements of conversation including context, usage, and appropriateness.

Teaching in English for International Teaching Assistants focuses on the classroom presentation and pronunciation skills necessary for ITAs to be successful in an American university classroom. Priority is given to international graduate students who are seeking teaching assistant positions and who have speaking scores lower than 25 on the TOEFL or 7.5 on the IELTS.