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

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.