The ITA Workshop takes place annually during the first three weeks of August, prior to the start of the fall semester. This includes students who have been on campus for some time and are now being considered for teaching assistantships as well as newly incoming students. Teaching experience at another university does not exclude a student from the requirement to attend, as standards of comprehensibility vary widely among colleges and universities. Texas Tech provides housing and food for students who must arrive at Texas Tech early to attend the workshop.
Students participate in the workshop approximately six hours a day.
The curriculum consists of cross-cultural and classroom communication training, English language instruction, and a practicum. English instruction focuses on pronunciation, stress, intonation, classroom vocabulary, and key vocabulary in the student's discipline. In the practicum, participants give several presentations in their field, at least three of which are videotapes. Participants also undergo extensive English language testing. American students who are recent high school graduates and who will be attending Texas Tech University are hired on an hourly basis to serve as a mock class for presentations and to work with the participants in role-play situations.