English is only the third most-spoken language in terms of the number of native speakers, but its huge importance in the business world means that it is vital in the IT industry. What are the key factors that make good knowledge of English essential for IT workers?

The Use of English Terms in Technology

Much of the latest technology has been developed in countries where English is spoken, which means that this language is used when new terms are coined. Even those companies that operate in other parts of the world often have their headquarters in an English-speaking country such as the US or Canada.

This also means that the information and documentation is written in English before being translated to other languages. As a result, the latest advice is far easier to find in books and online if you are able to search for it in English rather than waiting for it to be translated into different languages.

An example of when not being able to speak English can be a problem is when an unusual error message appears on the screen. When working with another language, trying to find information online to resolve the error can be extremely frustrating. Whereas translating it to English and searching for the answer is often a lot easier.

Finding an online English tutor is an effective and convenient way of learning the language. It is a matter of looking for a native teacher who suits your needs and then arranging 1-to-1 classes at a time that is right for you. Choose a business-level tutor if you are looking to pick up the terms needed to enter into a new job working in IT.

After that, you can use technology blogs and forums to keep up to date with the latest terms and carry on learning IT-specific phrases. Taking any exams in English might seem too difficult at first, but it is an ideal way to test yourself and to become more confident in your knowledge.

In many cases, software updates are now carried out on all languages at the same time, using a multilingual user interface to ensure that everyone gets the same updates at the same time regardless of the language that they use.

However, this isn’t always the case and there are still some situations in which you need to use the English version of the software if you want the very latest update. In those cases, using the English version can save you a lot of hassle.

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Use English to Become Globally Mobile

The IT industry is a global business these days, with terrific opportunities to progress your career in just about any part of the planet. One of the keys to taking full advantage of this is by being able to communicate well with your bosses, colleagues, and customers.

English is now well-established as a lingua franca in the business world. With words like software and hardware now understood just about anywhere you go, a move to a new job anywhere in the world becomes less daunting when you know that you can communicate in English.

It is also widely used in the freelancer world, where developers and coders can get hired by anyone online regardless of where they live. When you communicate purely online, removing the language barrier by learning to speak English is a step well worth taking.

Hiring managers and recruiters look for new staff that they speak to comfortably and without any issues. In many cases, they will have no option but to discard an applicant simply because the language barrier doesn’t let them go any further.

With learning online now popular and easy to do, taking English classes in this way is a sensible career move that will open plenty of doors for you in the IT world.