For programmers aiming to enter the North American job market, improving English speaking skills is essential. The key is practicality and confidence. Professional English differs from everyday English, focusing more on professional terms, teamwork, and clear communication. Programmers in North America need to express themselves using specialized English, both in interviews and in their jobs.
The IT industry is highly technical, with strong barriers to entry, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with domain knowledge ahead of time. Working on just one project can be enough to boost your English and industry knowledge.
In my own experience, the language and technical skills I picked up from a previous project were completely adequate for my future work. The TCS project I worked on was taught entirely in English. Programming has its roots in the West, and many terms and concepts are best understood in their original English form. Learning in English helped me grasp the true essence of programming better and allowed me to adjust quickly to the North American work environment.
For someone like me with weaker language skills, having a proper transition period is crucial. Without it, it would be hard to express knowledge learned in Chinese during interviews or real work situations.
The project itself progressed gradually from simple to complex, helping me understand why certain architectures are needed. The focus was on why things are done a certain way, rather than just giving you the code. The goal was to develop independent thinking in an SDE, rather than creating someone who just copies and pastes code.
The TCS project also involved daily stand-up meetings, weekly check-ins, and group collaboration, all of which helped strengthen our communication and expression skills.
In short, one project is enough to improve both Professional English and coding skills, so you don’t need to spend excessive time on small details.
Release time:2025-04-15
