English for IT – an overview English for IT, currently being developed, is a fifty-hour self study course aimed at adult / young adult learners of English at an A2 / B1 level. The course aims to develop learners’ language awareness through a range of common IT tasks encountered in the workplace. The course is organised around a series of workplace contexts in which knowledge of IT plays an important role. Learners focus on a range of key IT skills and applications for solving problems, as well as grammar, vocabulary and language necessary for communicating confidently and effectively in English. The materials take a modular structure allowing for greater flexibility. The modular structure means that each unit is self-contained and can be sequenced according to the needs of the specific group of learners. Assessment is built into each unit through the end-of-unit tests. The language syllabus is non-linear and in each unit learners focus on the language forms and lexis necessary to complete specific tasks related to the use of information technology. All these features combine to make the course adaptable to a wide range of learners’ needs. The language skills syllabus The course provides input and practice in all four skills, with a particular focus on developing learning strategies and sub-skills to improve confidence with using English for work. Texts are between 150 and 250 words in length and include common written and spoken text-types relevant to working life. Productive skills work mainly focuses on noticing features of written and spoken interaction, such as meetings, phone calls and emails.
Functional skills syllabus This course provides step-by-step guidance for developing key skills in IT for work. The skills are drawn from the UK Key skills for IT framework for adults / young adults Levels 2 and 3, as established by the Qualifications and Curriculum development Agency (QCDA). Skills include word processing, efficient use of the internet, working with numerical data and creating databases.
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