The profession of a programmer has always been and will be directly related to the knowledge of languages ​​- programming languages ​​and, of course, English. This is also due to the fact that most of the innovative solutions, inventions and achievements often come to us from America and Europe.

In addition, no matter how trite it may sound, English is the most common international language, which means that it can be useful not only in work.

Why is English needed in IT?

Let's try to name the main reasons why programmers and other IT employees often turn to schools or English courses:

• a higher level of English is often associated with new career opportunities, including a relocation to another country, with a higher salary and better conditions;
• most of the modern resources, manuals, professional literature is written in English and has not yet been translated, and what has already been translated, as a rule, quickly becomes outdated;
• English simplifies the task of communicating with your foreign team lead or customer, client, which means it speeds up the work process and saves time on communication;
• self-development - many people, developing professionally, want to develop personally, increasing their competence not only in the main field of activity;
• entertaining content is often presented in high quality in English (for example, watching the Silicon Valley series in the original will be much more interesting, because you often have to omit and even cut out certain points if they could not be adequately and clearly translated);
• travel and vacations - it is often possible to buy a more profitable tour or tickets at a discount on the English-language sites of popular low-cost airlines, and simply, relaxing and hearing English speech, or buying souvenirs in a foreign store, it is easier to do this by knowing the necessary phrases and words in English.

We figured out the reasons, now let's move on to the nuances of learning English for programmers. Most often, you don’t have to start learning a language from scratch - you already have knowledge of at least certain professional vocabulary, computer slang, the ability to read and write. Concerning Teaching technical English can be easier.

Problems in learning technical English

• the percentage of live communication in English is usually much lower than communication by correspondence using special solutions such as Confluence or Jira;
• narrow specialization of terms that are used in speech - a programmer often has to discuss nuances and errors in the code in English than simple everyday things;
• low frequency of communication in English in general, since communication usually takes place in their native language (many IT departments are often formed from Russian-speaking employees so that communication is better established);
• professional literature, despite many complex technical terms, contains relatively simple grammar, which leads to misunderstanding of more complex structures and sentences;
• English, despite its analytical structure, contains a fairly large number of exceptions related to historical factors that are rarely or not explained at all when learning the language;
• an abundance of synonyms and shades of the meaning of one word, which can even have opposite meanings, or even be several parts of speech at once (let's take the word fine - this is both good, and a fine, and a fine).

There are a number of simple recommendations that you should be aware of, given the above nuances in the study. It is always worth starting from the terms of study, where, most often, many mistakes are made, because many set themselves a relatively difficult and too global task - to learn English.

And all and for a month or even three days. But ask yourself a question: is it possible to pump up the press from a large ball into beautiful cubes in 3 days, a month or 3 months?

Usually not. But you can tighten flabby muscles, increase muscle elasticity and throw off a couple of extra pounds.

Also in English - you can learn simple tenses and three or four hundred words, but you can’t go from a beginner to a professional English expert in three months, and therefore the timing should be determined based on current tasks.

If we want to learn the basics - 3-4 months, and each further level will mean another plus six months of study.

It is better to take an introductory lesson at one of the English schools, where a specialist will test your skills, talk in detail about key mistakes and tell you where to start.

If it turned out that the level of English is basic, it is worth starting with general basics and simple tenses, and not specific vocabulary and technical language, because this will complicate the task and increase the learning period. This is what, as a rule, greatly reduces the motivation of students and leads to disappointment in learning languages ​​in general.

It will always be possible to connect a special course and study it in parallel, after a certain time. But learning at a time and fixing in practice is faster and easier than 10-15 words than 20-30. On the other hand, if you have an average or high level, it is advisable to immediately move on to studying a narrower vocabulary.

It is worth finding the opportunity to communicate in English additionally, outside the lessons - in conversation clubs, for example, because this will increase the ability to perceive by ear and improve the skills of spontaneous communication.

In addition to homework and special technical English classes, you need to connect English-language content in order to accustom yourself to it and speech in general.

But all the previous tips are more general and will suit almost anyone who wants to learn English.

Specific moments of technical English

• technical English very often intersects with business English, and therefore it will be useful to know the basics of business communication;
• a number of topics that tend to suit most IT professionals are interviews and resumes, business correspondence, team communication, popular teamwork methods, reporting and technical specifications, presentations, time management and, for the more advanced and experienced , topics of startups, freelance and your own business;
• Considering that the previous topics involve live communication, it is worth studying with a teacher at least to work out these particular topics.

One of the most important points can be called the question of motivation, since it is half or even more of the overall success:

• set aside regular two or three days a week when you are ready to study English for an hour and a half;
• homework is worth doing, and it is better if you do it immediately after the lesson or the next day, in order to more reliably consolidate knowledge in memory;
• on all other days, you also need to spend at least half an hour on English in order to constantly be in an English-speaking environment;
• you need a clear and, preferably, a visual goal in studying - global and intermediate (a teacher will help you with this, who after a couple of weeks of training will remind you that certain lexical and grammatical topics have already been studied, and after 3-4 months will say whether you are ready to move on further, one level higher);
• constant feedback on progress is needed (again, the teacher is most welcome here), because, observing your progress, it is much easier to move forward;
• it is worth choosing entertaining content so that English is associated not only with compulsory study and a lot of effort, but also with relaxation.

If you think that half an hour a day is not enough and not productive, here is a list of things that will easily help you constantly throw firewood into your mind halls:

• you can read the BBC\CNN news feed;
• see the news of profiles you are interested in in social networks (Twitter is good for this);
• listen to songs of your favorite foreign artists;
• watch short videos on YouTube or episodes of your favorite TV shows;
• make stickers with unknown words and hang around the house;
• take one of the types of training on the site dedicated to the English language and its study;
• write a message to a foreign pen friend.

Technical English courses for programmers

Now imagine that in the process of learning you have an experienced mentor who will correct mistakes and cheer you up when needed. Then, taking into account the previous recommendations, even the study of difficult technical English turns from torment and routine into a great way to relax and develop, which will also bring material benefits in the future.

These are the classes that await you at EnglishDom. You can see for yourself by visiting a free introductory lesson at our school, and at the same time check your level, and have a good time, having received important and useful tips on learning the language.

In addition, we have very attractive prices for English courses for engineers!

The choice is yours. We wish you success!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

And what do they eat it with? The term "technical English" can be conditional, which means it can be used in various fields of activity, such as IT, where knowledge of web development prevails, engineering, where mechanisms and communications are encountered, or the navy, where people manage everything that shoots and moves. That is why at the initial stage it is important to clearly identify English in which field of activity you are interested in. Interestingly, even the British themselves do not know all the terms associated with technical English, just as we cannot know those highly specialized words and expressions that are used in aviation, shipbuilding and the automotive industry.

It is important to note that technical English is, first of all, a special vocabulary, which, in combination with grammar, allows you to communicate and correspond with people who revolve with you in the same professional circle. It is necessary to clearly understand that, associating yourself with technical English, you must know every term, every expression that will help you give the most accurate instructions and unambiguously interpret any task.

In order to be as fast as possible, you must have knowledge of grammar and spelling. It is very important to understand that the same term can have many meanings, and their translation can be radically different. That is why you must master not only English synonyms and variants, but also memorize their Russian equivalents.

To overcome the subtleties of professional English, it is necessary to work properly with specialized literature, which is aimed at translating technical texts. Also, take a look at the numerous dictionaries and tutorials designed specifically for those who work with technical English. These may include the following collections:

Read English scientific texts. Course for beginners.

English-Russian explanatory scientific and technical dictionary on system analysis, programming, electronics and electric drive. Volume 1

English-Russian explanatory dictionary of computer terms

Technical dictionary (English-Russian, Russian-English). X-polyglossum. Publisher: IDDC-2006 Recommended for technical professionals.

English textbook for technical universities and universities Orlovskaya I.V., Samsonova L.S., Skubrieva A.I. (For students of technical universities and universities of machine and instrument-making profile).

The tutorials mentioned above will help you overcome technical English on your own. However, in order to achieve the goal as quickly as possible and come to an understanding of what real technical English is, a specialist in this field can come to your aid. The easiest option is to find good ones, where they will help you master all the intricacies of the technical field, and on your own you can work at home, practicing the knowledge gained in practice.

Remember that everyone who is connected with the technical field simply must be aware that even Technical English is always updated with new words and expressions, and you simply have no right not to know them, because sometimes not only correct work may depend on you mechanisms, but also the lives of people.

According to research by the British recruiting agency CBSbutler, in 2017 you could earn £54,000. To do this, it was necessary to work as an engineer in the oil and gas industry. To see such numbers on your bank account, you will have to make a lot of effort. One of them is to learn English and become a sought-after specialist in a foreign or Russian company.

Even if you have nothing to do with engineering, we advise you to read the article. For example, the English names of screws and dowels will be useful to you if you assemble furniture according to instructions in English or buy exclusive materials on English-language sites.

Brief glossary of technical terms

We have tried to collect the terms that are most often found in the work of an engineer. Of course, we have covered only the basic vocabulary. If you want to learn English in a narrower engineering field, this can be done on ours. Whether you are a structural engineer or an electrical engineer, we will select the right materials for your industry.

If you know the basic terminology, scroll to the end of the article: we have collected 33 cows of useful resources for you that will be useful for developing your listening and reading skills. Plus, our list of vlogs, podcasts, series, and courses will help keep learning fun.

General terminology

To begin with, let's analyze the names of engineering industries and the names of some positions.

Design

Let's move on to the basic set of words, which is necessary for drawing up drawings and diagrams.

measurements

The following lexical set will help to carry out measurements, correctly indicating the radius of the circle and the error in English.

Material Technology

Working with wood, concrete or metals, a concise dictionary of materials technology will help.

Production and assembly

Making and assembling appliances, furniture from parts is a task not only for a talented engineer, but also for everyone who started repairs with their own hands.

Energy and temperature

Forms of energy, temperature measurement - in the next collection of terms.

Water supply

The next section focuses on piping networks and fluid handling.

Mechanisms

Let's move on to engines, motors and gears.

Electricity

To assemble an electrical circuit and measure the frequency of an alternating current, the last section of our brief technical dictionary will help.

Useful Resources

The time has come for those same 33 resources that they promised to provide earlier.

According to statistics, more than 75% of orders for software development come to domestic specialists from foreigners and almost all customers prefer to communicate in English. That is why every IT specialist should be proficient in it. In this article, we will tell you how English can help you in your work and what resources you should use when learning English for programmers.

Why does a programmer need English

If you have already started working in the IT field, then you perfectly understand that programmers cannot do without English. However, some people believe that technical English can not be taught: almost all the terminology came from English, so everything will be clear and so. For those who are not sure whether it is worth spending time on learning a foreign language, we will give some weighty arguments.

1. Understanding terminology

   Most programming languages ​​are keyword based in English.

2. Choice of development tools

   Some of them do not have a Russified interface.

3. Reading technical documentation

   Almost all reference materials and terms of reference are written in English (if you are interested in orders from abroad).

4. Communication with customers

   Many foreign companies actively use the services of Russian IT specialists, and in order to accurately understand the needs of customers, you need to know English well.

5. The study of professional literature

   The latest books and articles in the IT field are published in English. Programmers need to constantly be aware of all the news and updates, so it's worth learning English.

6. Attending online courses and webinars

   On the Internet, you can find hundreds of training free courses from programming gurus. And on paid courses you can get an international diploma - a big plus for your resume.

7. Finding Solutions on the World Wide Web

   In your work, you periodically encounter complex tasks and some problems, the solution of which can be found in the English part of the Internet.

8. Chance of getting a job abroad

   It's no secret that almost all IT giants are based in the US. Such firms constantly require competent specialists, but in order to communicate with colleagues and management, you need to know English. Want to work in Silicon Valley? Learn English.

Read how our student learns English to promote his PC game on Steam, now communicates freely with colleagues from the European office, and learn English for career prospects.

Your strengths and weaknesses: how to teach English to a programmer

In learning English, as in any other business, you should use your strengths and try to work on your weaknesses. Let's find out what you have to work on.

1. Your strengths:

• Logical thinking

  How to use: Grammar is a logical structure, so with constant practice, it will not be difficult for you to learn it.

• Wide vocabulary

  How to use: it will be easier for you to learn English for IT, because you already have a good base of vocabulary. As you study words, you will notice that many of the "technical" words you are familiar with have a different meaning in general English.

• Uncertain knowledge of grammar

  Cause: technical texts tend to use complex terminology but very simple grammatical constructions, so you may not have paid enough attention to grammar. Everything is solved by studying the structures and performing practical exercises.

• The language barrier

  Cause: You had very little or no speaking practice. Because of this, the so-called “dog syndrome” develops, that is, you understand everything, but you cannot say for yourself. The practice of oral speech will solve this problem.

• hearing barrier

  Cause: programmers rarely have to perceive information in English by ear, so you may have problems understanding the interlocutor's speech. Working with audio materials will save you from this.

We have found out your strengths and weaknesses, and now we need to decide how to learn English for programmers. Based on our experience, you should start studying specialized English for IT after you have completed the Pre-Intermediate course. Before that, it is better to study general spoken English in order to lay a solid foundation for professional knowledge.

Where is the best place to learn a language? It is almost impossible to find special courses for learning English for developers, so individual lessons with a teacher are the best solution. And it will be even more convenient to study English without leaving your favorite computer, and we suggest you do this. If you want to study exactly English for IT, we recommend that you, in this case, in the lessons you will study the materials of your subject, that is, you will learn only what you need.

Basic English vocabulary for a programmer

In this section, we would like to introduce you to the basic concepts in English, which will be useful to almost every IT specialist. For convenience, we have identified a set of IT-related verbs, as well as words related to the Internet, hardware and software.

Useful verbs

Hardware - hardware

Software - software

Internet - Internet

Quite a selection, isn't it? But in order to learn to speak English well, it is not enough to know the words, you need to learn grammar, develop listening skills, etc. Therefore, in the next chapter of our article, we will present 79 resources for improving English. Choose a few of them and storm the heights of knowledge.

How to learn English for programmers on your own

English textbooks for programmers

For entry level:

For the intermediate level:

		English for Information Technology

Technical English dictionaries for programmers

1. multitran.ru

   An English-Russian and Russian-English dictionary will also come in handy for translation. For the correct translation of the term, see the translation of the word next to the note "comp." (computer terms).

2. english4it.com

   A simple and convenient English dictionary in which you can listen to the sound of each word. There are also sentences with all the words, they can also be listened to.

3. computerlanguage.com

   Dictionary of computer terms in English. Enter an unfamiliar word in the search bar and find out its meaning.

4. techterms.com

   English-language dictionary of technical terms. All words are sorted into categories, and you can also search for the meaning of a word through the search engine on the site. There are detailed explanations for each concept here. In addition, you can take tests from the Quizzes section to test your knowledge.

5. computerhope.com

   In the Dictionary section of this site you will find an English-language dictionary of technical terms, which provides a detailed explanation of each concept. In addition, you will be prompted to read a helpful article related to the term you were looking for a definition for.

6. blogs.gartner.com

   IT dictionary in English. Each concept is given a short clear explanation.

Resources for learning new words

1. Sites with tests and vocabulary exercises:
   • businessenglishsite.com - exercises that help you remember the rules for using IT vocabulary in sentences.
   • blairenglish.com - technical texts in which new words are highlighted in bold, and below is a test for knowledge of this vocabulary.
2. Word learning apps:
   • Lingualeo and Memrise - with these programs you can learn new words, create your own dictionaries for study, watch professional videos, etc.
3. Browser plugins:
   • LeoTranslator - suitable for Chrome and Firefox, it will be a logical addition to the application of the same name. With the help of "LeoTranslator" you can translate words and whole phrases on the pages of any site, add them to your dictionary and then study them.
   • Google Translator or English dictionary translate pronunciation - extensions for translating words and phrases on the pages of any sites. These are free, handy plugins, however, be aware that there may be errors and inaccuracies in machine translation, so always pay attention to the context.

Grammar Resources

Developers can learn grammatical structures from the usual general topics, because the rules do not depend on your profession. While there is no special English grammar for programmers, we recommend using the following resources:

1. We study the theory:
   • engblog.ru is a simple and convenient grammar guide compiled by experienced teachers. Each article has a quiz to check how well you understand the material.
   • engvid.com - grammar in video lessons from native English speakers. The material is presented in a very accessible way, and almost every video has a test on the topic.
2. Let's do some practical exercises:
   • learnenglish.de is a website with a large collection of grammar tests and theory explanations in English.
   • tolearnenglish.com - not the best in design, but good in content. To find tests on the topic you need, enter, for example, Article in the search bar, and you will be given links to exercises for practicing articles.
   • perfect-english-grammar.com is a handy site where English grammar is presented in simple words and there are practical exercises for working through the topics studied.
3. We work with special applications:
   • Learn English Grammar for Android and iOS - allows you to learn grammar rules and provides grammar exercises to practice using these rules in practice.
   • Johnny Grammar's English Quiz for Android and iOS is a handy application with tests on various English grammar topics.

How to learn to speak English as an IT professional

In the development of this skill, everything is logical: in order to speak, you must speak. Some people think that it is possible to develop oral speech with the help of manuals and online exercises, but this is not the case. Imagine that you have completely read the Python tutorial, but have not tried programming with it. Will you be able to write a quality program right away? Most likely, it will work with errors, and only after a lot of practice will you learn to write something sensible in this language.

With English, the situation is similar: no textbook or tutorial will replace your conversational practice with an interlocutor. Therefore, look for a partner for conversations in English. Moreover, you can develop oral speech without leaving home. Use the site