Build the English you need to describe features, compare tools, and discuss ideas confidently — using the vocabulary, grammar, and idioms that IT professionals use every day.

In the tech world, idioms like “plug-and-play,” “pull together,” and “turn things around” help professionals describe, compare, and explain how things work naturally. This course builds the English needed to talk about features, differences, similarities, and results in real-world IT contexts. Learners develop essential grammar including nouns, adjectives, comparisons, and adverbs, pick up key IT vocabulary, and practice phrasal verbs and idioms across scenarios spanning machine learning, software development, game design, UX/UI, product management, DevOps, QA testing, and data analysis. The course progresses from A2 level (simple everyday English) to B1 (intermediate), and includes 8 vocabulary video lessons, 8 grammar video lessons, 9 reading activities, 6 listening activities, and 30+ practice exercises. Developed in collaboration with OpenEDG, this is the first course in the English for IT – Basics Learning Collection.

Curriculum Chapters

  • 1. Improving Performance
  • 2. Your Digital Helpers
  • 3. Your Digital Thinkers
  • 4. Monitoring a Project
  • 5. Working Together
  • 6. Progress Updates
  • 7. Improving Collaboration
  • 8. Watching it Work
  • 9. Workflow in Action
  • 10. Understanding Good Quality

Skills You Will Learn

Use adjectives, comparisons, and adverbs to describe and compare tech tools, features, and outcomes. Apply essential IT vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idioms in real professional conversations. Express similarities, differences, and cause-and-effect relationships in everyday IT work scenarios. Explain workflows, describe testing outcomes, and discuss collaboration and project progress in English. Apply language skills across real IT contexts including machine learning, software development, game design, UX/UI, product management, DevOps, QA testing, and data analysis. Progress from A2 to B1 English proficiency for IT professional and study environments.

What’s Included

8 vocabulary video lessons
8 grammar video lessons
9 reading activities
6 listening activities
30+ practice exercises

Course Details

Course Type: Free self-paced
Time: 20 Hours
Modules: 10
Level: Beginner (A2 → B1)

Prerequisites

None. Courses in the English for IT – Basics collection can be taken in any order, though following the recommended sequence provides the most cohesive learning experience.

Certification & Career

Career and Certification alignment: This course is part of the English for IT – Basics Learning Collection, developed in collaboration with OpenEDG. Completing all four courses in the collection prepares learners for the English for IT B1 / GSE 36–49 certification exam. Skills are applicable across all IT roles requiring professional English communication.

Achievements & Badges

Upon completion, earn a Cisco Networking Academy digital badge. Learners who pass the optional certification exam also earn the English for IT – Basics Describing and Comparing B1 GSE 36–49 certification. Share your verified achievements on LinkedIn, your CV, or professional profile.

What Cisco verifies: Cisco verifies the earner of this badge successfully completed the English for IT: Describing and Comparing course. The holder of this credential has developed B1-level English proficiency for IT contexts, including the ability to use adjectives, comparisons, adverbs, cause-and-effect language, essential IT vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idioms to describe features, compare tools, explain workflows, and discuss project progress in professional IT environments.

Ready to Start This Course?

This course is delivered through Cisco Networking Academy — the official global learning platform. To enroll, click the button and you will be taken to the official course page on netacad.com. If you already have a Cisco Networking Academy account, simply log in and click Get Started. If you are new to the platform, creating a free account takes less than a minute. Enrollment is completely free.

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