Identifying student needs in English for information technology at the post-secondary level

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Diyar Nurmetov, Siswantoyo, Nataša Bakić-Mirić, Asel Chaklikova

2023 Cakrawala Pendidikan Vol. 42 Issue 1 Article Cited by 4 Quartile

Abstract

Mastering English language skills has been indispensable in every sphere of life and profession. Information Technology (IT) is no exception as it perpetually develops and changes. The present study is a survey aiming at identifying the English language needs of IT specialists working both domestically and abroad by involving 85 alumni from three Kazakhstani IT institutes. The data were collected through a needs analysis questionnaire for post-secondary level ESP courses and were analyzed through descriptive percentages. The study's results revealed that reading, listening, and speaking were essential skills for IT professionals for successful performance at work. Reading technical documentation and professional blogs aids specialists in solving common challenges in their industry, whereas listening and watching professionally oriented videos increase their qualifications. Additionally, the study implies that there may have been a mismatch between university-level ESP curricula and professional English language proficiency. © 2023, author.

Affiliations

Indonesia Suleyman Demirel University, Kazakhstan; Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia; The University of Priština in Mitrovica, Serbia; Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages, Kazakhstan