[PhamNguyenHoaiPhuong]

Dear teachers and IT professionals,
I would like to look for the information and the shared knowledge as well as experience from all of you about this topic. May be I have a very short knowlege of this and I need your help a lot.
In my opinion, English for IT is a branch of English for science and technology which belongs to ESP. Upon dealing with English for IT, firstly English teachers often find it difficult to master the subject matter of this field because IT is a rapidly changing study which requires the teachers to update regularly. However, most of English teachers are originally teacher of literature so they can hardly have even a basis knowledge of the field. This is the second problem. In addtion IT covers many different branches like hardware, software, programming, networking, and so on. The unique languages for each is also different. Teachers have to master the differences of this. The methodology for this differrences in language and other features is also different.
I hope you will reply my topic. Thank you for your consideration.

[LarryZoumas]

I agree with what you're saying, PhamNguyen. Many English For IT classrooms are popping up all over the world and there are so few qualified teachers and materials. I am glad you found this website because it is our goal to be the best website in the world for this subject matter.

If anyone finds any articles or information... please post in this forum!

best,

Larry Zoumas

[PhamNguyenHoaiPhuong]

Dear Mr.Zoumas,
I am very grateful for your replying. I found this web very necessary for all English teachers to teach It English. Many reading texts and activities with different subjects are really helpful.
But I have one more question in teaching IT English in theory :
the characteristics of IT English, which makes it different from other branches of English for science and technology.
My colleagues and students often ask me this matter before the EIT course but I fail to answer. I think with a profound knowledge of IT as well as a solid linguistis background in English, you can help me to solve this problem.
I would be very happy if you could answer my question. If you any material or website talking about this matter, please share with me. Once again many thanks to you for doing this.
Hoai Phuong

[LarryZoumas]

I think what makes IT English different from other branches of English for Sciences is mainly the specific vocabulary and concepts used. Also, I think IT English has much more interesting slang and idioms that other branches of ESP. Maybe this is because IT is so dynamic and fun compared to other sciences? I don't know. I just know I have fun at my job in the IT department.

We do have a unit ( unit 20 ) on IT slang in the course. Have you seen that one? I wish I had the time to improve it... but it will come in time.

- Larry Zoumas