The Native Speaker Teaching Assistant Program

Every academic year the Modern Languages and Cultures Department invites a French, Spanish, and German speaker to live and work with us at Albion College. Native Speaker Teaching Assistants (NSTAs) are university students in their early twenties from French, Spanish, or German-speaking countries that spend one academic year at Albion College as a special non-degree student. Native Speakers live along with language students in the I-Space in Fiske House to encourage and give residents more opportunities to use their target language.

The native speakers are a vital component to the Modern Languages and Cultures Department as well as to the I-Space. Due to their role in the department and in the I-Space, native speakers hold a special position of respect at Albion College. While attending classes, they lead weekly language tutorials to help students work on their conversational skills and grammar. They conduct weekly evening cultural activities in each particular language house in I-Space. They observe and assist professors in the classroom. Their company and leadership are welcomed at the weekly language tables in Fiske House. NSTAs plan at least one “mega” cultural language event. These events combine fun and social activities with educating the campus about the food, traditions, history and geographic regions associated with their language. In addition, as members of the I-Space Council, native speakers help to decide which campus community events, such as Briton Bash and Homecoming, I-Space will participate in and help to organize and rally support for it.

For more information about the Native Speaker Teaching Assistant Program, please contact for French, Dr. Dianne Guenin-Lelle (dgueninlelle@albion.edu), for German, Dr. Perry Myers (pmyers@albion.edu), and for Spanish, Dr. Kalen Oswald (koswald@albion.edu).

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